By J.S. Lewis
Captain Marvel, the 21st entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, will mark the mega-franchise’s first movie focused on a single female superhero. And the first to be co-directed by a female filmmaker and scored by a woman composer. The highly anticipated film, which will take place more than 10 years before the MCU began, has been in development since 2013 and finally flies into theaters in early 2019.
The second trailer for Captain Marvel has just premiered, and it fleshes out more of the plot, shows off some Skrulls, including the evil old lady we saw in the first trailer, and depicts young Nick Fury as a cat-loving agent who’s not yet become the tough-guy Avengers Initiative leader we know him as. Brie Larson appears even more badass in this new spot, declaring, “I’m not gonna fight your war. I’m gonna end it.” Read everything we know about Marvel’s Captain Marvel and then watch the new trailer below.
Who is Captain Marvel?
Captain Marvel has actually been the alter ego for many characters in Marvel Comics over the years. However, this film will be based on the character Carol Danvers, created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Gene Colan. Danvers first appeared as a United States Air Force officer in Marvel Super-Heroes #13, published in March 1968. A decade later she became the first incarnation of Ms. Marvel. She’s a human/Kree hybrid boasting superhuman traits, including flying and energy projection.
What is the plot?
“The story follows Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races. Set in the 1990s, Captain Marvel is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”
Who is starring?
Oscar-winning actress Brie Larson. Best known for her widely-awarded performance in Room, Larson also starred in Short Term 12, The Glass Castle and Kong: Skull Island. She was announced as Captain Marvel at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con.
In speaking with Vanity Fair, Larson had this to say about accepting the biggest role of her blossoming career: “Ultimately, I couldn’t deny the fact that this movie is everything I care about, everything that’s progressive and important and meaningful and a symbol I wished I would’ve had growing up. I really, really feel like it’s worth it if it can bring understanding and confidence to young women—I’ll do it.”
Who else is in the film?
Samuel L. Jackson will be reprising his role as Nick Fury, whom we last saw at the end of Avengers: Infinity War. We’ll also get to see Clark Gregg on the big screen as Agent Phil Coulson once again. The familiar characters continue with Lee Pace as Ronan the Accuser and Djimon Hounsou as Korath, both of whom appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy.
It’s not just a reunion, however. Jude Law joins the MCU as Mar-Vell, who was actually the first Captain Marvel in the comics. Ben Mendelsohn (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) also stars as the leader of the villainous shapeshifter aliens the Skrulls, while Crazy Rich Asians actress Gemma Chan plays one of Captain Marvel’s allies, Minn-Erva, a sniper member of the Kree military unit known as Starforce.
Annette Bening (20th Century Women) also joined the cast of Captain Marvel, marking the first time she has appeared in a superhero project. Her specific role was not revealed, though THR states: “Scientist is said to be in her job description.” Lashana Lynch rounds out the main cast as Danvers’ friend and fellow Air Force pilot Maria Rambeau.
Meet #Marvel‘s newest star! ???? Get your first look at exclusive images from @CaptainMarvel: https://t.co/BQdswjEYhe #CaptainMarvel pic.twitter.com/liTv5aEBjZ
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) September 8, 2018
Who is directing Captain Marvel?
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, the writing/directing team behind such films as Half Nelson and Mississippi Grind. This is certainly not the first time Marvel has plucked indie filmmakers to helm one of their big-budget spectacles, but it strikes me as one of the most intriguing choices to date. Boden and Fleck, who are also listed as writers on the film, have primarily made dramas up to this point. I look forward to what they’ll bring to the MCU formula and the superhero genre as a whole.
Who else worked on the screenplay?
Captain Marvel has had a number of writers over the years, most of them women. In addition to Boden and Fleck, there’s been input from Oscar nominee Meg LeFauve (Inside Out), Nicole Perlman (Guardians of the Galaxy), Geneva Robertson-Dworet (Tomb Raider) and Carly Mensch and Liz Flahive, the co-creators of the Netflix series GLOW.
Who is scoring the movie?
Pinar Toprak announced that she will be composing the musical score for Captain Marvel, becoming the first woman to score a major superhero movie. Her recent credits include TV’s Krypton and the extremely popular video game Fortnite. See her announcement below.
When does Captain Marvel come out?
March 8, 2019.
Watch the first two trailers:
[embedded content]
[embedded content]
