BY: Brittany Vallely
The new Captain Marvel trailer was recently released on Sept. 18, 2018, and is already making history for women in film everywhere. Statistically, many female leads in film are known to be young, small and white, who’s other leading companion is usually a man. Even though times are changing, there are still more roles for women in the business who fit this description.
Captain Marvel/ Carol Danvers, played by award winning actress Brie Larson, is a game changer in the Marvel movie franchise because she has many responsibilities. First, at the end of Marvel’s movie Infinity War there is an extended ending that symbolizes Captain Marvel’s arrival. This means the character is already an important aspect to the next Infinity War. However, Captain Marvel needs her own movie first so audience members will understand her background. Second, she is a female lead, therefore, she is a representation of how strong women are capable of fighting their own battles. Even though she is a superhero, the actor’s portrayal is just as important in order to for society to relate to her. However, people are already starting to doubt Marvel’s leading lady after the trailer was released.
“Not gonna lie…I’m NOT excited for this. And let me guess…she defeats the bad guy at the end?” says a YouTube user. The reason why people are debating so much is because she is supposedly the answer of saving the universe and bringing back some of the most beloved superheroes from the ashes. Sorry—too soon? In other words, her battles cannot be easy in this upcoming film, because audience members want to see her strengths if she is going to take on Thanos one day. “Thanos better watch his back! Here comes our savior!” says a fan on Larson’s Instagram. There are also comments that mention how Captain Marvel should smile more. Such as: “I had her facial expression while watching this trailer. It does not look good for the franchise,” a YouTube user said. Internet trolls decided to photo shop a smile on Lawson’s character to make her look more “appealing.” Nevertheless, Larson handle the situation wisely and photo shopped a smile on male superheroes, according to Time Magazine. The picture went viral and people created their own memes.
Sexism and feminism is a hot topic that is bound to come up in discussion since female solo leads in action movies are uncommon. For instance, when Larson posted a picture on Instagram of her training for the role, users began talking about her female aspects. “Look at them cake, boi” says an Instagram user. There are also articles that concern Captain Marvel’s costume since she needs a suit that is fitting to a warrior. After the fiery debate targeting the amazon’s revealing outfits in D.C.’s Justice League, people are keeping a close eye on Captain Marvel’s appearance. In the trailer, Captain Marvel is completely covered from the neck down, because women fighting in short skirts is not realistic.
“Carol’s appeal to young girls is likely on the minds of everyone at Marvel,” Vanity Fair said. Female superheroes are important in today’s society because it influences women around the world. Movies like Captain Marvel is a fun reminder that women are not weak, and are capable of solving the world’s problems. “Thank you. A lot. On this day a lot of people’s dreams come true. Every Carol and good Marvel fan freaked out today,” an Instagram user said. Captain Marvel is one of the strongest super heroes to ever be created in the Marvel comics. She does have an attitude, she is quick on her feet, and if you know about her background she has gone through a lot. She is a very serious character, and being hot tempered is part of who she is. “I want people to feel like their character is honored,” Larson said in an interview with Dailymotion.
