Last week I talked about the five major plot points the new Captain Marvel trailer hinted at. While the trailer gave us lots of content to get excited about, it also left us with as many questions as it answered. Here are the top five questions we have after watching the new Captain Marvel trailer.
Why Does Carol Danvers Have Blue Blood?
One big reveal the new trailer showed us was a shot of Carol’s bloody nose. But her blood is blue like Kree blood. Before this trailer, fans had assumed that Carol gained her powers due the crash and subsequent explosion. This assumption may still be true as the blue blood may just be from the impact of the Kree bomb exploding. However, another theory supported by Captain Marvel’s new origin story in recent comic books opens up another interesting explanation.
The comics have recently altered Captain Marvel’s origin to reveal that Carol was in fact born as a human-Kree hybrid, but her powers were only activated when she came into contact with Kree technology–not originating from the explosion itself. While the MCU has a history of only loosely following the actual comic book storylines, it is more logical that the shot is a hint to viewers that Carol’s flashbacks should not be assumed to be accurate. After all, both the Kree and Skrull seem to have experimented on her at some point in her life, giving her amnesia.
How Can Carol Fly A Quinjet?
This sequence suggests that Nick Fury took Captain Marvel to a S.H.E.L.D. base to acquire transport. As Carol takes the stick of the Quinjet Fury, he asks her if she knows how to fly a Quinjet; Carol replies that she can. By the time this scene appears in the film it can be assumed that Carol has been experiencing flashbacks of her previous life on earth. During her time on earth Carol was somehow involved with S.H.E.L.D as a pilot. In the first trailer, Carol is seen entering what looks like the same S.H.E.L.D base. She enters the base with a fingerprint scan. If Carol’s thumbprint can unlock it, that means she had pretty high-security clearance within S.H.E.L.D before she was taken off world.
Is Jude Law Really Playing Mar-Vell?
When Jude Law was first cast in Captain Marvel it was reported that he was cast as Mar-Vell, the leader of Starforce. However, based on trailers and cast interviews, this is increasingly unlikely. He is now most likely playing Kree villain Yon-Rogg. This certainly fits with the sinister vibe Law gives off in the trailer, especially the scene where Law’s character tells Carol that she isn’t as powerful as she thinks she is. As we all know from both the trailers and multiple confirmations from Kevin Feige and other head creators at Marvel, Captain Marvel is the strongest character in the MCU so far. Knowing this, there is definitely an insinuation that Law’s character feels threatened by Danvers.
One of the more popular fan theories suggests that Captain Marvel’s amnesia is not simply a product of the explosion, but that Yon-Rogg has been deliberately manipulating Carol’s memories to ensure she will serve the Kree and never doubt his authority or version of her origin story. If this is the case, Yon-Rogg is every bit as much the villain as Talos, leader of the Skrulls.
Who is Annette Bening Really Playing?
When four-time Oscar-nominated actress Annette Bening was first cast in the film, it was assumed she would be playing Carol Danvers’ mother, Marie. Based on this trailer, Bening’s role is still a mystery. Based on this shot and her line telling Carol, “Your life began the day it nearly ended. We found you with no memory, we made you one of us. So you could live longer, stronger, superior. You were reborn,” Being’s character is pretty important to the Kree culture. She is someone who can explain to Carol how she ended up on the Kree homeworld of Hala and why the Kree decided she was worthy to become “one of us.” Fan theories suggest that Bening will be playing some kind of Kree major scientist, the leader of the Kree empire, or even perhaps a gender-bent Mar-Vell if Jude Law is playing Yon-Rogg.
How Does Carol Tie-In With Avengers Endgame?
This shot revisits Captain Marvel’s origin. It shows that after crashing her plane pursuing alien aircraft on behalf of the U.S. Airforce, something aboard the Kree ship was damaged causing the explosion shown above. Carol Danvers’ body is irradiated with unknown blue-colored energy. The energy blast is undeniably reminiscent of a similar blowout in Ant-Man & the Wasp, so this could very well be Quantum Realm energy. If Carol Danvers’ powers are connected with the Quantum Realm, Marvel may have given us a big hint regarding the plot of Avengers: Endgame. Kevin Feige has repeatedly stated that Ant-Man & the Wasp and Captain Marvel directly tie in with Avengers: Endgame. Until now, many fans have wondered how a movie set in the 1990s could tie into the events of Avengers Endgame. The Ant-Man sequel explores the quantum realm and merchandise for Avengers: Endgame show characters with quantum realm suits. If Captain Marvel is also connected to the Quantum Realm this could explain how Captain Marvel connects with Avengers: Endgame as the Quantum Realm will be a key plot point in Avengers Endgame .
Captain Marvel will be Marvel’s first solo female superhero movie. The movie also precedes the highly anticipated Avengers: Endgame where Captain Marvel is hinted to be the universe’s only hope to restore the universe after Thanos’s snap. Additionally, Captain Marvel will be leading the next era of the MCU as Iron Man has done for the past ten years. Whether the trailer answered your burning questions or left you with, even more, be sure to check out Captain Marvel starting March 8, 2019, which is strategically International Women’s Day. The release date is no coincidence. Kevin Feige has stated that Carol Danvers will lead the MCU into its next era and in the new MCU era the future is female.