| Carol Danvers | |
|---|---|
| Marvel Cinematic Universe character | |
 Brie Larson as Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel inCaptain Marvel | |
| First appearance | Captain Marvel (2019) |
| Based on | |
| Adapted by | |
| Portrayed by |
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| Voiced by | Alexandra Daniels (What If...?)[1] |
| In-universe information | |
| Aliases |
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| Species | Human mutate-Kree hybrid |
| Title |
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| Occupation |
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| Affiliation |
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| Spouse | Prince Yan[2] |
Carol Susan Jane Danvers is a fictional character portrayed primarily byBrie Larson in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)media franchise—based on theMarvel Comics characterof the same name—commonly known by heralias,Captain Marvel. Danvers is initially depicted as aU.S. Air Forcefighter pilot who was givensuperhuman abilities when alight-speed engine test went wrong and she was exposed to the cosmic energy of theTesseract. She was subsequently transformed into a Human-Kreehybrid viablood transfusion and renamedVers.
Initially loyal to the Kree Empire, she serves as a member of theStarforce in their war against theSkrulls, but eventually returns to Earth where she regains her memories. She unlocks her dormant powers includingsuperhuman strength, energy projection and absorption, and flight. She befriendsNick Fury, inspiring him to create theAvengers Initiative. Decades later, she returns to Earth, joins the Avengers and participates in the battles againstThanos.
As of 2024[update], Danvers has appeared in four MCU films, as well as in the miniseriesMs. Marvel (2022).Alternate versions within theMCU multiverse appear in the animated seriesWhat If...? (2021; 2024), voiced by Alexandra Daniels.
In 1995, on theKree Empire's capital planet of Hala, Danvers, known as 'Vers', suffers fromamnesia and recurring nightmares involving an older woman, particularly as a formerU.S. Air Force test pilot who acquired cosmic energy force powers from theTesseract after an explosion that wiped out her memory. The Kree decide to use her as a weapon against theSkrulls.Yon-Rogg, her mentor and commander, trains her to control her abilities while theSupreme Intelligence, the artificial intelligence that rules the Kree, urges her to keep her emotions in check. During a mission to rescue an undercover operative infiltrating a group of Skrulls, Vers is captured by Skrull commanderTalos. A probe of Vers's memories leads them to Earth. Vers escapes and crash-lands inLos Angeles. Her presence attractsS.H.I.E.L.D. agentsNick Fury andPhil Coulson, whose investigation is interrupted by a Skrull attack. Vers and Fury later go to theProject Pegasus installation at an Air Force base, where they findGoose. They discover Vers was a pilot presumed to have died in 1989 while testing an experimental light-speed engine designed by Dr.Wendy Lawson, whom Vers recognizes as the woman from her nightmares and Goose to be Lawson's pet. They, along with Goose who stowed away on their ship, fly toLouisiana to meet former pilotMaria Rambeau, the last person to see Vers and Lawson alive.
Rambeau and her daughterMonica reveal that Vers is Carol Danvers, who was once like family to them. Talos, arriving unarmed, explains that the Skrulls are refugees searching for a new home and that Lawson was Mar-Vell, a renegade Kree scientist helping them. Talos plays a recovered recording from Lawson's jet, prompting Danvers to remember the crash, whereby she absorbed the energy from the ensuing explosion, gaining powers but losing her memory. Devastated by the truth, she suffers a breakdown that Maria and Talos help her through.
Danvers, Talos, Fury, Goose, and Rambeau locate Lawson's cloaked laboratory orbiting Earth, where Lawson hid several Skrulls, including Talos' family, and the Tesseract – the power source of Lawson's engine. There, Danvers is captured by Starforce and interfaces with the Supreme Intelligence. Danvers removes the Kree implant that suppressed her powers during their conversation, allowing her to reach her full potential. In the subsequent battle, Fury retrieves Goose, who is revealed to be an alien called aFlerken. Goose swallows the Tesseract and scratches Fury, blinding his left eye. Danvers destroys a Kree bomber, forcing Kree officerRonan the Accuser and his squadron to retreat before overpowering Yon-Rogg on Earth and sending him back to Hala with a warning to the Supreme Intelligence. Danvers departs to help the Skrulls find a new place to live, while leaving Fury a modifiedpager to contact her in an emergency.
However, by 1997, Danvers is unsuccessful in finding the Skrulls a home.[b] Danvers returns to Hala to fulfill her warning and after fighting offDar-Benn and other Kree, uses her power to destroy the Supreme Intelligence. Her actions unintentionally causes Hala to lose natural resources and to undergo a civil war making her feel guilty.[c]
In 2018, Danvers is summoned via the pager by Fury duringthe Blip.[d] Danvers returns to Earth and tracks the activated pager to theAvengers Compound where she meetsNatasha Romanoff,Steve Rogers,Bruce Banner,James Rhodes,[e]Rocket Raccoon, andThor. She is then sent to rescueTony Stark andNebula, who were aimlessly drifting in theBenatar through space, and brings them back to the Compound. She is grief-stricken when informed about the Blip and joins Banner, Nebula, Rhodes, Rocket, Rogers, Romanoff, and Thor in confrontingThanos on theGarden planet. Danvers assists in subduing him when he reveals that he has destroyed theInfinity Stones to prevent his mission from being undone. Danvers then watches as Thor decapitates Thanos.
In 2020, Danvers meets with Rambeau at her house, who tells her to take and adopt Goose as she could no longer watch her.[f] In 2023, Danvers has become a member of the Avengers under the leadership of Romanoff, involved in space missions helping to quash post-Blip chaos across the universe alongside Rocket and Nebula. Later, Danvers returns to Earth, after learning that the Avengers and their allies are engaged inbattle with an alternate Thanos. She rescues them from a bombardment rained down from alternate Thanos'Sanctuary II warship and destroys it. She is then given the Nano Gauntlet byPeter Parker and attempts to fly it into the Quantum Tunnel. However, she is stopped by Thanos, who incapacitates her with thePower Stone. Stark then sacrifices himself to win the battle, and Danvers later attends his funeral, briefly reuniting with Fury.
In 2024, Danvers and Banner answerWong's holographic call to discuss theTen Rings withShang-Chi and his friendKaty. While she does not recognize anything alien about the Ten Rings, they discover the Ten Rings are emitting unknown signals before Danvers receives another call and leaves.
In 2026, Danvers and Goose are living a quiet life in her spaceship when Fury calls asking her to investigate a jump point anomaly. She and Goose then go to an uninhabited planet, but after touching the anomaly, she gets transported away. She is transported to a bedroom inJersey City,New Jersey.[g] After seeing Captain Marvel posters and merchandise, she goes downstairs and finds a family in the living room, before making her exit. When she flies off, she gets brought back to the planet and gets attacked by Kree soldiers who tell her where Dar-Benn is heading for. She and Goose go to Tarnax and infiltrate the peace treaty negotiation between the Skrulls and Kree. However, she gets swapped again and finds herself in Fury's space pod, before using her powers and returning to the house from before. After getting swapped repeatedly, she was returned to Tarnax. Before she could confront some Kree, she was returned to the house and found that Goose, Fury, and Monica Rambeau were also there. Danvers asked Rambeau how she got powers and was told about going into awitchhex. Rambeau explained their entanglement with another person and as Danvers flew off to find her, she crashed back in the backyard of the house. She eventually returned to Tarnax where Rambeau and the other person,Kamala Khan, had been transported too. When Dar-Ben opened a jump point, Danvers told the Skrulls and their Emperor to evacuate into her spaceship. After escaping, Danvers calledValkyrie and was met by her who came and took the Skrulls to Earth. Danvers then spoke with Rambeau privately before introducing herself to Khan. She then saw Khan's bangle, identifying it as a Quantum Band. They worked together to control their entanglement and then learned that Dar-Benn was heading for Aladna. They arrived on Aladna, where Danvers was welcomed as a Princess by the population and reunited with Prince Yan, her husband, in his palace and were supplied with new suits. Danvers then helped fight against Dar-Ben, but on the ship, Khan accidentally pressed the controls, sending them through a jump point to another planet. Danvers explained to Rambeau why she never returned to her and about being responsible the Kree Civil War. They went to theS.A.B.E.R. space station, where Danvers saw several Flerken due to Goose having given birth and helped with the evacuation process. After learning Dar-Benn's next move, they intercepted her on the Kree ship, but she was able to take Khan's Quantum Band. Danvers tried to stop her, but Dar-Benn connected the Bands killing herself and tearing a hole in their universe into themultiverse. Danvers and Khan used their powers to energize Rambeau who volunteered to close the tear, but to their dismay, ended up getting stranded in the alternate universe. Danvers sent Khan back to Earth and restored Hala's Sun. Deciding to live on Earth, she moved into Rambeau's vacant house with Goose, getting help from Khan and her family in the move.
Severalalternate versions of Danvers from within the MCUmultiverse appear in the animated seriesWhat If...?, voiced by Alexandra Daniels.[1]
Danvers originated as a comic book character inMarvel Super-Heroes #13 (March 1968) by writerRoy Thomas and artistGene Colan. In the story, she is anofficer in theUnited States Air Force and Security Chief of a restricted military base, where Danvers meets Dr. Walter Lawson, the humanalias ofalienKree heroCaptain Marvel.[3] In a later story, Danvers is caught in the explosion of a Kree device after trying to get close to Captain Marvel.[4] Although Captain Marvel manages to save her life, Danvers sustains serious injuries,[5] later resurfacing with superhuman abilities and becoming the heroMs. Marvel (created by writerGerry Conway and artistJohn Buscema) in a self-titled series in January 1977, at first written byGerry Conway and later byChris Claremont. In the series, it is revealed that the energy exposure from the explosion of a device called the "Psyche-Magnetron" caused Danvers's genetic structure to meld with Captain Marvel's, effectively turning her into a human-Kree hybrid.[6]
After her transformation as Ms. Marvel, Danvers as a character went through several developments throughout the years before becoming Captain Marvel. In the 1980s Danvers' stories are entangled with the X-Men mutants, starting whenRogue steals her powers and memories.[7] InUncanny X-Men series by Chris Claremont andDave Cockrum, Danvers forgoes her identity as Ms. Marvel and subsequently uses the name Binary after being experimented on by the alien race theBrood which gives her the ability to generate the power of a star.[8] However, in the 1990s Danvers loses the majority of her Binary power and regains her original power as Ms. Marvel.[9] WriterKurt Busiek and artistGeorge Pérez then redefine her as Warbird as she joins the Avengers and fights againstKang the Conqueror.[10] Afterwards, Danvers as Warbird continues to appear in major 2000s storylines such as,House of M,Civil War andSecret Invasion. During theDark Reign storyline, Danvers returns as Ms. Marvel and fights againsther imposter created byNorman Osborn.[11]
After her introduction, Carol Danvers was meant to be an icon of thefeminist movement as shown by her superhero name and being portrayed as a strong character.[12][13] However, push-back from Marvel's then Editor-in-ChiefJim Shooter instead set a precedent for stories centred on the theme of victimization, with some of her most formative arcs involving alcoholism, torture, brainwashing, identity/power theft, kidnapping, and rape. Although not the ideal struggles expected of a hero, her tendency to bounce back from attempts to write her off and to overcome traumatic experiences and return stronger became a consistent theme in itself. As such, her continual appearances with Marvel's prominent characters throughout the decades turned Danvers into a premier heroine for the publisher.[14] In the 2010s, Danvers eventually assumed the title Captain Marvel in the series byKelly Sue DeConnick with a redesigned costume closer to aflight suit rather than the classic female superhero appearance. She also rejoined the flagship Avengers seriesNew Avengers and was involved in major storylines such as the 2015Secret Wars and 2016Civil War II, where she leads the side advocating for stopping crime and attacks before they happen.[15]
Marvel Studios PresidentKevin Feige said Larson was cast because of her ability to balance the character's vast powers with her humanity.[16] Due to concern that Larson (who was 26 when she was cast) was too young to portray an accomplishedairman, screenwriterNicole Perlman consulted with the U.S. Air Force, who said it was possible for someone to excel between the ages of 28 and 34.[17]
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In the MCU, Danvers is an ex-U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and member of an eliteKree military unit calledStarforce. She was imbued with superhuman strength, energy projection, and flight after exposure toTesseract energy.[18][19] Larson described Danvers as a "believer in truth and justice" and a "bridge between Earth and space",[20] who must balance her unemotional Kree side with her "flawed" human half.[18] Larson also called Danvers aggressive, quick-tempered, and invasive—attributes that help her in a fight but prove to be character flaws.[21]
Brie Larson trained for nine months for the role, learningjudo,boxing, andwrestling.[18][22] She also visitedNellis Air Force Base and met with active-duty airmen, includingBrigadier GeneralJeannie Leavitt andThunderbirds pilotMajor Stephen Del Bagno, in preparation for the role.[23][24][25] Carol Danvers is portrayed as a thirteen-year-old byMckenna Grace,[23][26][27] and as a six-year-old by London Fuller.[27]
InAvengers: Endgame, screenwriterChristopher Markus stated that Danvers's powers are on a scale that has not previously existed in the MCU and likened her personality toSteve Rogers, "which is sort of a person who's right and knows they're right and doesn't really want to hear it when you tell them they're wrong".[28] Danvers has little screen time in the film, which McFeely reasoned as "not the story we're trying to tell—it's the original Avengers dealing with loss and coming to a conclusion, and she's the new, fresh blood."[29] Larson filmed her scenes forEndgame before beginning work on her solo filmCaptain Marvel (2019), which was released first.Captain Marvel directorsAnna Boden and Ryan Fleck were present for the filming of Larson's scenes inEndgame and gave Danvers's characterization in the film their blessing.[30]
In the comics, Carol goes by numerous superhero names before becoming Captain Marvel, with her first name being Ms. Marvel.[31][32]
Furthermore, Carol Danvers received her powers through an exposure from an explosion of a Kree device called the "Psyche-Magnetron" while assistingMar-Vell.[33] The explosion caused her to mutate and becoming a human-Kree hybrid.[6] In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films, Carol received her powers from an energy exposure of an explosion when she destroyed a light-speed engine created by Mar-Vell. However, the energy comes from the Tesseract that housed one of theInfinity Stones, the Space Stone.[34] She becomes a human-Kree hybrid later, when Yon-Rogg, a Kree officer, takes her to Hala and transfuses his blood to her.[35][36]
In the MCU, Carol's activities on Earth in 1995 and her call sign, "Avenger", are the inspirations for Nick Fury's Avengers Initiative that created theAvengers.[37] However, in the comics, theAvengers were created in response to Loki's invasion and later named by theWasp.[38]
Following the release ofCaptain Marvel andAvengers: Endgame, A.O. Scott ofThe New York Times praised Carol Danvers's character, calling her a "tough and charming woman [... ] determined to fight gender clichés" who is "ready for a career of franchise clock-punching."[39] Jacob Stalworthy ofThe Independent stated Carol Danvers has the potential to become "one of the best" characters from theMCU, saying, "Now her origin story is out of the way, the sky's the limit for her; it'll be exciting to see which planets her story scales next."[40] Tara McNamara ofCommon Sense Media found Carol Danvers to be a positive role model, writing, "Carol Danvers is a fantastic role model: She always sees herself as capable, she's not objectified, male counterparts recognize her intelligence and strength, and she has a strong sense of integrity."[41] Shana O'Neil ofThe Verge statedCaptain Marvel depicts Carol Danvers as one of Marvel's strongest superheroes and called her "an admirable person, one with good friends and goals worth fighting for."[42] Amanda Finn ofMs. wrote, "When we watch Captain Marvel, we witness an incredibly strong and funny woman being told to reign [sic] in her emotions from the very start. The fact that she doesn't immediately throw people around rooms just for the sake of smashing blatant misogyny is enough reason to keep watching. Captain Marvel is a level-headed person just trying to do her best with what she's got. She wants to protect those that need protecting and complete her mission, and she manages to make that happen despite the sexism that comes her way."[43]
Callie Ahlgrim ofInsider ranked Carol Danvers 2nd in their "ranking of all the Avengers, from least to most powerful" list.[44] Richard Fink ofMovieWeb ranked Carol Danvers 3rd in their "Strongest MCU Heroes" list, saying, "Essentially, Captain Marvel is the MCUSuperman, a powerhouse fighter with great strength. Captain Marvel will turn out the champion in any physical fight."[45] Simoun Victor Redoblado ofCollider included Carol Danvers andCaptain Marvel in their "10 Best MCU Narratives About Female Characters" list, writing, "Carol Danvers is the personification of power. [...] Carol embraced the responsibility of using her powers to help civilizations across galaxies. Now that's a strong message sent."[46] Chris E. Hayne ofGameSpot ranked Carol Danvers 15th in their "38 Marvel Cinematic Universe Superheroes" list, saying, "From her first '90s-soaked adventure through her appearance at the climax ofAvengers: Endgame, we've got a good idea of how powerful Captain Marvel is. Power isn't everything, though, and after two appearances, we simply need more. That someone like Captain Marvel hasn't cracked the top 10 is telling. However, there's plenty more to come—namelyThe Marvels--that could improve her standing here."[47] Hemal Jhaveri ofUSA Today ranked the relationship between Carol Danvers and Maria Rambeau 10th in their "Best relationships in the Marvel Cinematic Universe" list, stating, "As much as I love all things MCU, it is criminal that there are hardly any strong relationships between women in any of the movies until 2019'sCaptain Marvel. It is an oversight steeped in misogyny and while I'm glad Marvel producers learned the errors of their ways, they still have a long, long way to go. That said, the relationship between Carol Danvers and Maria Rambeau is a great look at female friendship."[48]
Larson's portrayal of Carol Danvers was praised by multiple critics.[49][50][51] Meg Downey ofIGN foundCaptain Marvel to be a refreshing take in the MCU, stating that Larson's portrayal of Carol Danvers is a "stellar performance" that manages to give the character "a vibrant, joyful life that will fit right into the future" of the MCU.[52] Peter Bradshaw ofThe Guardian called Larson's performance "fierce" acrossCaptain Marvel, stating, "Larson has the natural body language of a superhero: that mixture of innocence and insouciance, that continuous clear-eyed idealism and indignation combined with unreflective battle-readiness, all the things that give MCU films their addictive quality."[53] Kenneth Turan ofLos Angeles Times praised Brie Larson's performance as Carol Danvers, calling her "luminous and powerful [...] with a knockout punch that would have dauntedMuhammad Ali."[54] Owen Gleiberman ofVariety stated Larson provides an "emotional vibrance" across the film, writing, "Brie Larson lights up a Marvel superheroine film from within."[55]
However, the character and the movie have also been the target of negative attention due to Brie Larson's perceivedfeminism.[56][57] Some have been critical of the character suffering from the "Superman problem," calling her "overpowered" and "unrelatable," with concerns raised over how to convincingly write the character into established MCU plotlines without turning her into aMary Sue.[58][59]
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Film | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MTV Movie & TV Awards | June 17, 2019 | Best Hero | Captain Marvel | Nominated | [60] |
| Best Fight (vs.Gemma Chan) | Won | ||||
| National Film & TV Awards | December 3, 2019 | Best Actress | Nominated | [61] | |
| Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | May 2, 2020 | Favorite Movie Actress | Captain Marvel andAvengers: Endgame | Nominated | [62] |
| Favorite Superhero | Nominated | ||||
| July 13, 2024 | Favorite Movie Actress | The Marvels | Nominated | [63] | |
| People's Choice Awards | November 10, 2019 | Female Movie Star of 2019 | Captain Marvel | Nominated | [64] |
| Action Movie Star of 2019 | Nominated | ||||
| February 18, 2024 | The Action Movie Star of the Year | The Marvels | Nominated | [65] | |
| Saturn Awards | September 13, 2019 | Best Actress | Captain Marvel | Nominated | [66] |
| Teen Choice Awards | August 11, 2019 | Choice Action Movie Actress | Nominated | [67] |
Brie Larson reprises her role as Carol Danvers in the theme park attractionAvengers: Quantum Encounter on theDisney Wish cruise ship.[68][69] She also reprises her role in the theme park attractionAvengers Assemble: Flight Force inWalt Disney Studios Park.[70][71]
Critics are praising Brie Larson's performance as Carol Danvers, the nostalgic '90s setting, and the cosmic sci-fi elements.
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