The post-credits scene for “Avengers: Infinity War” primed audiences for Earth’s last hope against the evil villain Thanos. All it took was a little pager (and having to explain what a beeper/pager is to countless children) with a special symbol and millions around the world began counting down the days until Brie Larson’s hero would come and save the day. And now, for the first time (minus crappy set pictures), we get our first look at the hero that will save us all from Thanos — Captain Marvel.
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As teased yesterday, Larson has suited up for a new series of images for EW. And guess what? She looks great! The actress dons the classic red, blue, and gold from the comics in a suit that looks almost ripped from the pages. Sure, there are changes, as with any film, and for “Captain Marvel,” it’s no different. The suit looks a little more muted than the comics, but not to ridiculous DCEU levels. There’s more “armor” on the suit, giving it that much more of a military look, which suits the character. But overall, Marvel Studios and Brie Larson seem to be sticking close to the source material for inspiration.
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“This is not a superhero who’s perfect or otherworldly or has some godlike connection,” Anna Boden, who’s the MCU’s first female director, tells EW. “But what makes her special is just how human she is. She’s funny, but doesn’t always tell good jokes. And she can be headstrong and reckless and doesn’t always make the perfect decisions for herself. But at her core, she has so much heart and so much humanity — and all of its messiness.”
Now, we must admit, as we do with all first look images of superhero films, pictures don’t mean anything if the film is garbage. And with “Captain Marvel,” there’s a lot of unknowns. Brie Larson is a sure thing, given her career and acclaim. But directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck are newcomers to the big-budget game, having worked most recently on the small film “Mississippi Grind.” However, as history would seemingly prove, Kevin Feige and the folks at Marvel Studios are masters at guiding young directors through the rigors of blockbuster filmmaking.
More importantly, there’s the plot. “Captain Marvel” is a prequel, set in the ‘90s and features a lead character with a very odd (and complicated) origin story. Plus, on top of just the origin story, Marvel Studios has to introduce a new race of aliens, a centuries-old feud, and end it all with some idea of how Brie Larson goes from the ‘90s to 2019 without aging a day. It’s not impossible, by any stretch, but it’s not as simple as some of the other characters. Luckily, Marvel Studios has given the actress plenty of help with integrating into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Samuel L. Jackson, Clark Gregg, Lee Pace, and some more rumored actors will be joining Larson in “Captain Marvel.” Oh and if those names weren’t enough, the new additions of Ben Mendelsohn, Jude Law, Annette Benning, and Gemma Chan are pretty great too.
All that said, the images look great. Larson looks perfect for the role. And yes, “Captain Marvel” looks like it could be that big hit that Marvel Studios expect it will be. All fans need to know now is how she plans on kicking Thanos’ ass. “Captain Marvel” opens March 8, 2019, just a month before whatever they end up officially calling “Avengers 4.”
