The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become a giant in the movie industry, clawing its way to the number one seat over all other existing franchises. Much of this is because of the financial success of Black Panther, followed by Avengers: Infinity War. As a palate cleanser, Ant-Man and the Wasp are up next, but then the MCU goes big once again with an origin story and introduction of Captain Marvel. Because of this, rumors are everywhere on the inter-web, leading to a variety of opinions regarding of what fans would like to see from Carol Danvers story and how it will play into the untitled Avengers 4.
Much like Black Panther was the first comic book movie to feature a black protagonist superhero in our modern-day times, Captain Marvel will continue the path carved out by Wonder Woman for a female protagonist. And because of this, there’s more pressure on Captain Marvel than there was on the other two. Many thought Wonder Woman and Black Panther would do average. But audiences spoke out with their pocketbooks, driving both films above and beyond the industries expectations. Now, Captain Marvel is faced with the challenge of keeping that momentum moving forward, proving to the world and all the haters that these trends are not temporary, or a fluke of nature.
This is also a chance for the MCU to show they can write, direct, and produce a female protagonist superhero movie just like the DCU. Because everyone knows there’s a friendly rivalry between the two franchises. But will the MCU prevail with Captain Marvel or will Wonder Woman remain on top? Let’s look at rumors we hope are true and others that would be the absolute worst regarding the upcoming Captain Marvel movie.
25 True: Duel Origin Story
Marvel likes sticking to its game plans, but sometimes, change is good. Captain Marvel producer Nate Moore recently spoke with Cinema Blend, where he admitted that MCU origin stories all follow the same formula. More also acknowledged that it has gotten to a point where even casual MCU fans can predict what will happen next.
In response to this, Moore states Captain Marvel will be done “in a way that will feel unexpected and hopefully keep audiences off balance.” This has led to speculation regarding a duel origin story for Carol Danvers and Nick Fury, as the timeline places the film in the 90s.
Will we get to seek Fury lose his eye, and could it be tied into Danvers inheriting her superhero powers?
24 Worst: Captain Marvel Time Travels To Future
The quantum realm is a fascinating part of the MCU, but not everything should be connected to time travel. The rumor is that after witnessing Carol Danvers origin story, she’ll receive the page from future Nick Fury and time travel into the future to save the day.
This theory is an easy one to fit into the story, but I hope it’s not true. I would rather find out that Captain Marvel has been in deep space for the last couple decades, fighting other battles we weren’t aware of. Let us know in the comments if you’re pro time travel or against it.
23 True: Carol Danvers vs. Tony Stark
Tucked away in The Mighty Captain Marvel comic book series is the remnants of a feud between Carol Danvers and Tony Stark. Captain Marvel meets an AI version of Tony while on a mission. Before she leaves, Danvers asks the AI to tell Stark she is sorry. The AI responds by saying he’s still in a coma.
Could this be the prelude to another Civil War involving Tony Stark and Captain Marvel?
It worked once for the MCU, so perhaps they’ll try it again. It would also explain why no one ever brings up Carol Danvers name in any of the other films.
22 Worst: BARF Returns
Not Barf from Spaceballs (I’m still waiting for Spaceballs 2 too). No, this is the Binary Augmented Retro-Framing device invented by Tony Stark. The theory is that Tony will use BARF to send messages back in time, thwarting Thanos at every turn, and helping the Avengers win the day. Images onset for Avengers 4 have revealed an orange box with BARF written on it.
So, what does this have to do with Brie Larson’s character?
A real quantum physicist who worked with Marvel during Ant-Man and the Wasp and Dr. Strange was also reportedly on set during Captain Marvel. Could Danvers be receiving pages and visual messages from the future?
21 True: Coulson And Fury Team Up Together
S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson might be the star in the television series, but audiences haven’t seen him on the big screen since The Avengers. The rumor is that Nick Fury will be teamed up with Agent Phil Coulson, giving fans a taste of their origin stories and the magic of them working together.
Both would be rising stars in S.H.I.E.L.D. and competing for their own top spots in the organization. Fury and Coulson are both brilliant, but get things done in their own way. Watching them work side-by-side would be a treat.
20 Worst: Dr. Walter Lawson Gets Eliminated
Dr. Walter Lawson, played by Jude Law, is a Kree alien known as Mar-Vell. Early MCU reports do mention Lawson will be a mentor to Danvers regarding her new Kree powers (much like he was in the comics). How she gets her Kree powers, however, remains a mystery.
It’s also been suggested he won’t make it through the film. Captain Mar-Vell has faced off against Thanos in the past (comic book storylines) and it would be nice to see him do it again.
19 True: Captain Marvel Takes Place In Alternate Timeline
The Kree-Skrull war is a major event to have occurred in history. How this will be introduced into the MCU has opened the door for possible theories. One such rumor is that the events of Captain Marvel will take place in an alternate timeline.
While this may seem confusing at first, the Arrowverse has already proven it can be a successful way to tell a story while avoiding gaping plot holes.
Alternate timelines are easier to explain than time travel, allowing for more freedom when telling a new story in an existing franchise like the MCU.
18 Worst: Soul Stone Tied To Captain Marvel
Thanks to Avengers: Infinity War, we now know the location of the Soul Stone all this time was on the planet Vormir. It just so happens that Vormir is located in Kree space. Since Captain Marvel is part Kree, many are jumping on the rumor bandwagon which states Danvers in tied to the Soul Stone somehow.
It could be possible, but the idea of tying the Soul Stone to Danvers just because she is half Kree is a little far-fetched. And if Danvers was tied to it somehow, it would only seem likely that her name would have been brought up then in previous MCU films.
17 True: Captain Marvel Becomes Leader Of Avengers
Many fans have suspected the Infinity War storyline will be the last for Tony Stark in the MCU. Not because it’s what MCU fans want, but because Robert Downey Jr’s. contract has been up for awhile and he’ll likely want to take a step back after a decade of pumping out movies as Iron Man.
With the leadership spot opening on the Avengers roster, the possible candidates would be Dr. Strange, Black Panther, and Captain Marvel. Considering the first two already have their hands full, Carol Danvers and her military background seem to fit the position best.
16 Worst: Cosmic Diplomat
Speaking of Carol Danvers military background, it would really be a drag if she became a mouthpiece for the military. We all saw how that worked out for Tony in Captain America: Civil War, and to be honest, fans aren’t thrilled about mixing politics with superheroes.
You don’t have to go too far into the past to see the failure of politics mixed with comic book movies. The only story with some success is the Watchman series. Even Batman was shunned when Bruce Wayne hogged too much screen time — and, politics also led to Batman Vs. Superman being a flop.
15 True: Annette Bening As Carol’s Mother
I’m all for new faces venturing into the world of superhero comic book movies, whether they be new actors or already famous ones who are curious to try these roles out. Either way, nine out of ten times the passion given by the actor towards the role makes it a success.
Rumor has it that Annette Bening has signed on to Captain Marvel and might be taking on the role of Carol Danvers mother. Benning is a four-time Oscar nominee with a handbag full of accolades. According to rumors, Bening’s character will be a scientist.
14 Worst: Secret Invasion Storyline
The Secret Invasion storyline by Marvel Comics is a great read and one I recommend picking up. Many have suspected, and rumors have been flying, regarding pieces of the Secret Invasion being included in Captain Marvel.
Spoilers for those who haven’t read Secret Invasion, but the story focuses on an invasion upon Earth by the Skrulls. If this was to happen, it would create dozens of plot holes in other MCU films while being repetitious of the story in the comics. Much like Avengers: Infinity War, audiences want a new story with nods towards the comics. Not duplicate tales.
13 True: Danvers And Stark Love To Hate Each Other
The clashing of personalities between Dr. Strange and Tony Stark in Avengers: Infinity War was spot on. If Stark does appear in Captain Marvel, to which I believe he will, it would be great to have a scene where the two powerhouses clash. This could also set up tension between them in the untitled Avengers 4.
Tony Stark is as hard-headed as they come, and it seems like Carol Danvers will be too. Watching them trade shots on each other for a few minutes on screen time could enhance the film to greater levels.
12 Worst: Everett Ross Plays Major Role
Everett Ross played a major role in Black Panther, which was suited perfectly for his character. However, if he was to be in Captain Marvel, he would take away screen time from Fury and Coulson. While more characters aren’t a bad thing, too many government agents are.
Ross will likely be the designated government lackey in Black Panther 2, whenever it gets made, so he’ll certainly be back one day. Plus, fans of Sherlock on BBC can watch him pair up with Benedict Cumberbatch for a reportedly new season coming soon.
11 True: Movie Events Crossover With Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D
Instead of adding characters like Everett Ross, fans would much rather see a crossover with the television hit series Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Doing so would bring Chloe Bennet (Quake), Ming-Na Wen (Melinda May), Iain De Caestecker (Fitz), and Elizabeth Henstridge (Simmons) finally to the big screen.
The cast of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D has been nailing it for five straight seasons now and deserves the screen time.
A crossover between the television series and the box office MCU is a win-win and hopefully will finally happen. Especially, since the series is already a part of the MCU.
10 Worst: X-Men Crossover
It doesn’t appear like the Fox and Disney deal is going to go through anytime soon, so having the X-Men appear in Captain Marvel is extremely unlikely. A crossover between the X-Men franchise and the MCU is a great idea, but not until the story of Infinity War has been played out.
Too much is going on in the MCU currently, and to add more characters would only confuse general audiences at this point. If the buyout happens, there will be plenty of time for this amazing crossover to happen and be done right.
9 True: Captain Marvel Will Lead All-Female Avengers Movie
This rumor shouldn’t happen until the Infinity War arc has been played out. We hope it’s true, as it could open the door for more female characters like She-Hulk, Squirrel Girl, Kamala Khan, and Medusa. Seeing multiple female superheroes, led by a woman would not only have a huge impact on society but make Marvel a ton of money. And let’s be honest, it all comes back to money at the end of the day.
If Captain Marvel was used to introducing one of these new female superheroes, I doubt anyone would be complaining.
8 Worst: Another Infinity Stone
There are rumors saying Danvers has been missing in action throughout the MCU because she’s tied to another Infinity Stone in some way. While the logic supports these theories, it’s unlikely there’s another Infinity Stone floating around in the galaxy.
Some have said she is tied to the Soul Stone since Vormir is in Kree space and Captain Marvel is part Kree. This also seems a bit far fetched and seems like it would add too much confusion to what is supposed to be an origin story of Carol Danvers.
7 True: Peggy Carter Makes Appearance
I know what I said about too many government lackeys on the screen at one time, but Peggy Carter gets a pass if Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck want to include her. We witnessed her funeral in Captain America: Civil War, and it would be nice to see her in action one last time.
It would be neat to see her passing the reigns onto another agent while training Nick Fury and Agent Coulson. Hopefully, it won’t be anything major, just a small cameo to give Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) a fun nod while providing a healthy dose of fanservice.
6 Worst: Digital De-Aging Of Characters
Nick Fury and Coulson are going to need to look younger than they do in the current MCU timeline. But using a de-aging process isn’t the way to go. The technology is extremely advanced and neat but doesn’t work very well on the big screen unless the character has limited movement.
The last thing audiences want is to be ripped out of a scene because a character’s face looks off.
Just look at the reaction to Superman’s upper lip in Justice League. Lucasfilm pulled it off with Leia in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story only because of limited movement and a short amount of screen time.