‘Captain Marvel’ could show future of MCU after ‘Avengers 4’

“Secret Invasion”
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• New details and images from “Captain Marvel” suggest
  that the movie holds the answer to the future of the Marvel
  Cinematic Universe after “Avengers 4.”
• The movie introduces the shape-shifting alien Skrulls,
  who invade Earth in the comics by posing as many popular
  characters.
• It also teases another superhero who could show up in
  future films.

“Captain Marvel” is expected to be a game changer for the Marvel
Cinematic Universe. It features the first female character in the
franchise to headline a solo film, and is directed by the
franchise’s first female filmmaker, Anna Boden (along with
co-director Ryan Fleck). And the title character was teased in
“Avengers: Infinity War” as possibly the Avengers’ best hope in
defeating Thanos.

There’s a lot riding on “Captain Marvel,” including the future of
the MCU.

The “Infinity War” sequel, due in theaters in May 2019, will be a
turning point for the franchise. Veteran actors have teased they
are ready to depart, including Captain America actor Chris Evans,
who said earlier this year that he’ll retire from the role after
“Avengers 4.”

And executives have indicated that the current era of the MCU
will come to an end with the movie: Disney CEO Bob Iger said in
May that the MCU will try a “new franchise beyond
‘Avengers,'” and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has said
that the “Avengers” films are heading toward a “conclusion.”

But before “Avengers 4” points the MCU in a new direction,
March’s “Captain Marvel” may lay the groundwork for what comes
after that. The movie may take place in the 1990s, but it’s
looking to the future.

Entertainment Weekly released new images and details from the
movie on Wednesday that included the anticipated first look at
star Brie Larson in the title role
and a look at Samuel L. Jackson as a digitally de-aged young Nick
Fury. But it was other details that signal potentially big things
to come for the MCU.

In the movie, Ben Mendelsohn plays Talos,
the leader of a shape-shifting alien race called the Skrulls who
are at war with the Kree (Captain Marvel is half-human,
half-Kree). EW revealed that Talos has
infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. in the movie.

The inclusion of the Skrulls in the MCU could lead to an
event-sized movie like “Infinity War,” and carry the franchise
beyond just the “Avengers” films, especially if the X-Men and
Fantastic Four are introduced via the Disney-Fox deal. 

A 2008 comic-book event called “Secret Invasion” revealed that
Skrulls had been posing as many characters in the Marvel Comics
universe for a number of years, including Hank Pym, Spider-Woman,
and Elektra. The battle ends when Norman Osborn (a.k.a. the Green
Goblin) shoots the Skrull queen. This makes Osborn a hero in the
eyes of the world and he is appointed the director of
H.A.M.M.E.R., an organization created to replace S.H.I.E.L.D.

The fact that a Skrull has already infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. in
the MCU’s history means that the idea of a future movie loosely
based on “Secret Invasion” isn’t a stretch: the MCU has already
been inspired by other comic events like “Civil War,” “Planet
Hulk,” and “The Infinity Gauntlet,” and if it wants to sustain
itself for another decade without the Avengers as we know them,
it will have to keep drawing on the content available in the
comic books.

A more subtle detail paints a smaller picture for the MCU’s
future: According to EW, Lashana Lynch plays Maria
Rambeau, “one of Carol’s oldest friends” and a “top-notch Air
Force pilot with the call sign ‘Photon,’ and she’s also a single
mother to a young daughter.”

The young daughter mentioned is most likely Monica Rambeau,
who in the comics is the superhero Photon (and former Captain
Marvel). In fact, Larson’s Carol Danvers isn’t the only Captain
Marvel in the comics: Jude Law’s character, Mar-Vell, was the
first Captain Marvel in the comic books, and will be Danvers’
mentor in the movie.

This means Photon could be introduced in the future, which
would expand the Captain Marvel film mythology even further
(Marvel has already said it plans to introduce Muslim
superhero Ms. Marvel).

“Captain Marvel” doesn’t arrive in theaters until March 8, but
the MCU’s future already seems to be shining bright.