Long before it hit theaters on March 8, “Captain Marvel” had already stirred controversy among fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
On one hand, fans were excited to see Oscar-winning actress Brie Larson portray the first female superhero lead in the MCU. While female heroes including Black Widow and Scarlet Witch have held major roles in previous movies, “Captain Marvel” is the first one out of 21 total films that is entirely dedicated to a female hero — DC Comics took the lead on this front with Gal Gadot’s 2017 “Wonder Woman.”
On the other, disrupting the historically male-dominated superhero club did not come without its difficulties. Soon after the trailer dropped, Twitter users accused Larson of a wooden performance, criticizing her acting skills and urging her to smile more. One user went so far as to Photoshop smiles onto promotional images. Larson’s response was a series of Instagram stories depicting male superhero posters with ridiculous Photoshopped smiles, pearly whites hilariously out of place with their furrowed brows and dramatic stances.
In an ironic turn of events, the release of the film revealed a similar scene that had been written into the script long before Larson’s public clapback made headlines. As Larson’s character examines a map in a parking lot, a man on a motorcycle tells her that she would look prettier if she smiled more.
“That’s just a depiction of the female experience,” Larson noted in an interview with Yahoo Entertainment. “That’s just what it’s like. So it didn’t really bother me that much when I saw the reaction because that’s just how it goes.”
Director Anna Boden thinks many women could probably relate to that scene, which had always been a part of the script. Telling women to “smile more” is considered a relatively common form of female objectification as it implies women’s emotions and appearances exist to satisfy others.
This reflection of reality in fiction is what makes female representation in movies so important, both for actresses and directors.
Despite these hurdles, “Captain Marvel” brought in a $153 million domestic haul and $455 million worldwide for its opening weekend, making it the second highest grossing film of 2019.
The star-studded cast is led by Larson, who won Best Actress for “Room” in 2016, English actor Jude Law, up-and-coming British-Asian actress Gemma Chan, Ben Mendelsohn, Samuel L. Jackson and Reggie the cat — who, by the way, delivers some of the most comedic moments in the movie.
Admittedly, the film itself isn’t amazing enough to be a groundbreaking Oscar-hopeful, but it’s still an enjoyable watch for MCU enthusiasts and casual viewers alike. Directed by Boden and Ryan Fleck, it’s the first MCU film to be released after Stan Lee’s death last November, and includes a special Marvel opening sequence featuring memories of the late comic icon. In addition, following the dramatic ending of “Avengers: Infinity War” in 2018, the film is a crucial final piece of the puzzle before the “Avengers: Endgame” release on April 26.
As if a reflective pause to preface the climactic Avengers finale, Captain Marvel’s origin story offers a glimpse of planet Earth’s past, before the notion of the Avengers even existed. The story follows Vers (Captain Marvel), a hot-headed Kree warrior with no recollection of her past, and her role in an intergalactic war between her people and the shapeshifting Skrulls.
The movie is a bit hard to follow in the opening scenes due to the exposition and worldbuilding, but the fun kicks off when Vers quite literally crashes into 1995 America, falling through the roof of a Los Angeles Blockbusters (haha). In pursuing Skrull intruders on planet Earth, Vers finds an unexpected ally in Nick Fury, a shield agent, and begins to discover evidence of her history on the planet.
This setting allows for an abundance of cheeky ‘90s references, a fun soundtrack and most importantly, the appearance of a young Nick Fury sans his iconic eyepatch.
Although some criticized the movie for promoting a heavy-handed, outdated brand of feminism, we found the themes of female empowerment cheesy at times, sometimes humorous, but never offensively overbearing. By the time we reach its conclusion, accompanied by the 1995 song “Just a Girl” by No Doubt, the film has told a compelling story about self-discovery and persistence. We watch as Captain Marvel repeatedly stands back up when told by others what she can and cannot do at various stages of her life, culminating in the final battle of the movie.
Lastly, don’t forget to stay behind for both of the after-credits scenes, one of which directly connects the ending of “Infinity War” to “Endgame.” For both avid fans and casual watchers, “Captain Marvel” is worth watching. Packed with classic Marvel humor, likeable characters and heartwarming moments, this origin story sends an important message to young girls and women who feel restricted by their gender. Beyond that, it offers a universally relevant story of finding yourself amidst the forced standards of those around you.