The new Captain Marvel trailer that launched tonight is full of awesome and badass moments, but there is one bit where the adjective "adorable" is more appropriate. I am, of course, referring to Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury cuddling with an adorable cat while on a mission with Brie Larson's Carol Danvers. It's a fun moment in what is mostly a dramatic preview, but here is something that may change your perception in that regard: that's not a cat.
Or at least it won't wind up being a cat assuming that it's the character we think it is from Captain Marvel comics. While the furry creature in the trailer is named Goose (clearly a Top Gun reference), it's likely that it's the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Chewie: Carol's pet that, in Kelly Sue DeConnick and Jamie McKelvie's beloved series, is revealed to not be the feline it appears to be, but instead an alien known as a Flerken.
As you may have guessed, Flerkens look exactly like cats, but they are very different when you start learning details about their species. For starters, they lay eggs and possess far greater intelligence, but the most fascinating thing about them is that they contain pocket dimensions inside their mouths. This not only allows them to store an infinite amount of material, but even allows them to achieve dimensional travel.
Physically, the big thing that sets Flerkens apart from cats is that they also have a set of pink tentacles that can emerge when it is under attack:
One can imagine that Nick Fury would be less inclined to pet Goose in that form.
In the comics, Carol Danvers is initially unaware of her pet's true identity for the longest time (Chewie was first introduced in 2006), but she made some discoveries in 2014 while teaming with the Guardians of the Galaxy. Specifically there is a bit of a freakout session that occurs when the tiny beast is introduced to Rocket Raccoon. The gun-loving alien immediately recognizes Chewie for what he is, as you can see in the panels below, and he's not exactly thrilled by the idea of sharing space with it.
Carol initially denied that Rocket was right about her pet, believing him to be mistaken, but she discovered that she made a mistake a few issues later when her Flerken laid a grand total of 117 eggs. Obviously that's not really something that cats do.
This is all speculation for now, as we can't be certain that the Captain Marvel movie will adapt this element from the comics... but it would be a shame if it didn't. Not only will it be a fun surprise for those who know nothing about the source material (or at least don't read movie websites), but it will be a real treat just to see this idea brought to life in live-action. Plus, who doesn't want to see Nick Fury totally freak out when he learns what it really is?
The Flerken question is one that ultimately probably won't be answered in the Captain Marvel trailers, but the good news is that we don't have much longer to wait before we get the answer on the big screen. The 21st Marvel Cinematic Universe movie is now just a few months away from release, set to hit theaters on March 8, 2019. That being said, we will definitely be keeping our eye out for more clues, so stay tuned!
