Between Iron Man, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger and Ant-Man, the Marvel Studios filmography is packed with superhero origin stories... but the company's upcoming slate is filled with much fewer of them. Instead, Phase Three seems to be more about both sequels and giving post-origin characters -- like Black Panther and Spider-Man -- their own solo titles. As a result, we've been looking at Scott Derrickson's Doctor Strange as potentially the only real origin story featured in the next wave of Marvel films... but we learned tonight that won't be the case. It turns out Captain Marvel will be categorized that way as well.
Marvel Studios had a big night tonight, showcasing 15 minutes of Doctor Strange in IMAX theaters around the country, but the particular screening that I went to in Los Angeles this evening was special because it was attended by director Scott Derrickson and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige. Speaking with Feige after the footage, I asked him how the company was viewing origin stories in Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the executive/producer revealed a very interesting detail about the Captain Marvel movie currently slated for 2019. Said Feige,
[Black] Panther is not really an origin story, since we saw him already in Civil War. But his standalone certainly introduces you to 99% of his world that you never saw. And Captain Marvel is certainly an origin. It's an origin story from the start.
In the comics, Carol Danvers becomes Captain Marvel when she is exposed to an explosive alien device. The result of this incident is that her core DNA is altered, giving her not just incredible strength and speed, but also the ability to fly. This was the character's origin when she was first introduced back in the late 1970s -- then known as Ms. Marvel -- but like just about every other comic book character that hits the silver screen, there is every chance that its casually changed to better fit the medium.
This is an interesting bit of news, particularly because it was very unclear up until now whether or not Captain Marvel would be telling the story of how Capt. Carol Danvers gained superpowers. There has been a lot of speculation in the last few months on this subject, particularly because of the announcement this summer that Brie Larson would be playing Carol Danvers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Many thought it was odd that Larson would be cast before Captain Marvel found a director, and have taken it as a hint that the character would make her live action debut in The Avengers: Infinity War. It's still very possible that will happen -- though if that's the case, it looks like we'll be introduced to a powerless Carol Danvers first.
Some might find this news about Captain Marvel exciting, as it will be the first chance for a female Marvel Comics superhero character to get a full origin story on the big screen; but others may a bit uneasy about it, as there has been some outcry about these blockbusters getting past standard origin story set-ups. Which side do you land on? Hit the comments section below with your thoughts, and, as always, stay tuned for more news and updates about the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
NJ native who calls LA home; lives in a Dreamatorium. A decade-plus CinemaBlend veteran; endlessly enthusiastic about the career he’s dreamt of since seventh grade.
