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Credit: Marvel StudiosCaptain Marvel has always been a controversial hero for Marvel Studios, but now it seems as if Marvel is thinking about putting Carol Danvers’ story on the back burner.
Related: ‘Captain Marvel 2’ Star Rallies Behind Robert Downey Jr.
Directed by Nia DaCosta, the sequel to the acclaimed Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie Captain Marvel (2018) based on the Marvel Comics hero, known as The Marvels (2023) or Captain Marvel 2, underwent several scheduling changes and was released as part of the Multiverse Saga’s Phase Five. Ultimately, the film saw a delayed release on November 10, 2023.
It’s no secret that The Walt Disney Studios’ Marvel Studios, led by President Kevin Feige has been in hot (or really, tepid) waters as of late — especially following the end of the Infinity Saga in Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2019), which saw the death of Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and retirement of Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans).
The firing of Kang the Conqueror actor Jonathan Majors and the recent reports of audiences feeling “superhero fatigue” have been combatted by Disney and Marvel Studios acknowledging the recent lack of “good stories” in the MCU.
One of the oft-cited culprits of this issue is The Marvels, which received a middling reception from critics, audiences, and the box office.
Now, Marvel Studios looks to be scaling back on Carol Danvers, AKA Captain Marvel’s (Brie Larson) story as the studio attempts to shift their focus to a more “quality over quantity” approach, and a greater emphasis on “street-level” stories in the Marvel universe.
A Diminished Captain Marvel?
Related: Fans Outraged at Disney’s Decision To Resurrect Dead Avenger: Report
Recent reports from industry insider Alex Perez of the Cosmic Circus now indicate that the character of Larson’s Carol Dancers looks to be taking on more of a background role following The Marvels, centered around trying to figure out the origin of the Quantum Bands with Wong and Bruce Banner.
During a question and answer session on Discord with fans, Alex Perez answered user DisappointinglyLethargic, who asked if The Marvels underperformance has led to a change in plans for Captain Marvel:
DisappointinglyLethargic: With The Marvels underperforming, where have you heard Captain Marvel showing up again?
Alex: I have heard Carol’s role in the MCU as of now is to focus on two things. The first is to decipher the true origin of the Quantum Bands from The Marvels, with Carol presenting her bangle to Wong and Banner, while Kamala does the same, albeit with a couple of new friends on the way. The second thing is to find a way to bring Monica back to the MCU, but given what we know about incursions, they might find their way back to each other sooner than they think.
Although the first Captain Marvel film garnered considerable attention and achieved over a billion dollars in box office revenue, its sequel struggled to match that level of appeal.
With the landscape of Marvel Studios’ MCU ever-shifting and under increased scrutiny from parent company Disney and Disney CEO Bob Iger, one could see this potentially more “backseat” role as a move by Marvel to capitulate to the more misogynist, “anti-woke” crowd, who have frequently complained that Larson’s Captain Marvel has ushered in an “M-She-U” era of the MCU.
Do you think Marvel is giving in to “anti-woke” sentiment, or simply trying to ground the MCU again and increase quality? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
More on The Marvels
In The Marvels, the story centers on Brie Larson reprising her role as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, who inadvertently swaps places with Captain Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), the daughter of Carol’s late best friend, Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch), and young Captain Marvel fangirl Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani), a hard light energy-wielding hero introduced in her own Disney+ series, Ms. Marvel (2022). They team up to thwart the ambitions of their adversary, Dar-Benn, portrayed by Zawe Ashton.
Park Seo-Joon made his debut as Prince Yan, the ruler of the planet Aladna and a crucial ally to Danvers, sparking speculation about a potential romantic bond. Samuel L. Jackson portrayed Nick Fury, the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D., who teams up with the Skrulls at S.A.B.E.R. in deep space following the events of Secret Invasion (2023). Furthermore, Zenobia Shroff (Muneeba Khan), Mohan Kapur (Yusuf Khan), and Saagar Shaikh (Aamir Khan) returned to their roles as members of Khan’s family from the Disney+ miniseries “Ms. Marvel.”