While fans have had to say goodbye to some of their favorite Avengers at the end of Phase 3 of the MCU, there are plenty of exciting new heroes to take their place. Captain Marvel 2.
The first film set up Carol Danvers as the newest hero and how she related to the MCU at large. Now the sequel has the potential to explore the character in new and exciting ways while also keeping in mind what fans like about the character already. Here are some of the ways Captain Marvel 2 can improve the franchise and some things they should keep the same.
Keep The Same: Her Power
At the end of Captain Marvel, Carol discovers that the Kree have been suppressing her true power all this time and she finally unleashes her full potential. This is seen even more in Avengers: Endgame as Carol proves to be more than a match for Thanos.
Some fans worry that having a hero with that much power could make the MCU less interesting. However, this could be an interesting character to explore. To have a hero with almost limitless powers, it would be interesting to see what that does to a person.
Improve: Limits To Her Power
As much as the sequel should ease back on Carol's powers, they do need to be defined a little more. The first film showed her realizing the full extent of what she was capable of. The sequel should take time exploring her finding a limit to that.
Carol seems to think she can do anything with her powers so it would be good to see her find out that's not true. That could be a way to make an all-powerful character like Captain Marvel interesting and vulnerable.
Keep The Same: Carol And Fury
Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury was key to bringing the entire MCU together, but he is a character that seems to mostly operate in the background. That's why it was nice to spend a little time with the character in Captain Marvel.
Fury and Carol made a surprisingly solid duo and it would be fun to see how their relationship has evolved over the years. The post-credit scene of Spider-Man: Far From Home seemed to suggest Fury was now in space so having them team up seems plausible.
Improve: More Cosmic
Captain Marvel introduces the titular character as part of the Kree army and in the midst of cosmic war. However, in order to learn about Carol Danvers and her past, the movie needed to spend most of its time on Earth.
When it comes to the sequel, it feels like Captain Marvel is a character that was meant for cosmic adventures. The Earth-bound story was effective, but there are so many more worlds and characters out there that this franchise can have a lot of fun with.
Keep The Same: Connection To Earth
As much as Captain Marvel is better suited to space adventures, her connection to Earth is something worth exploring more in the sequels. The scenes of Carol reconnecting with Maria and Monica Rambeau are genuinely touching.
Given how long Carol has been away from Earth for so long, the sequel could explore what has happened to those she left behind. Carol could be a hero caught between two worlds which would add some emotional stakes to the story.
Improve: No Fish-Out-Of-Water Story
Though Carol Danvers is from Earth, as a Kree warrior, she has no memory of that part of her past. When she lands in 90s-era Earth, she sticks out like a sore thumb which makes for a lot of the comedy in the film.
As fun as that was the first time around, there's no need to revisit it. Carol has presumably been traveling around the universe for decades now so she's probably seen it all. We don't need another story of her feeling like a fish out of water in a strange new world.
Keep The Same: Cocky Attitude
A lot of Marvel heroes have a certain cocky attitude whether it is justified or not. Given the level of Carol's powers, it's fair to say her own cockiness is her justified. Even what she is around the Avengers, she is the strongest hero and not afraid to show it.
While some fans were put off by this attitude, it's strange that this kind of arrogance is accepted in the male Marvel heroes. Hopefully, the sequel embraces this aspect of her personality and explores it in interesting ways.
Improve: More Personality For Carol
The cocky attitude might be fun, but that's not enough to have a well-rounded character. The first film found Carol as a dedicated warrior trying to learn more about her true identity. It made for a compelling story, but it didn't develop the character's personality enough.
After her brief appearance in Endgame, it still feels like we don't have a sense of who this character is. The sequel needs to explore the character more in the same way as Captain America: The Winter Soldier expanded the character of Steve Rogers.
Keep The Same: Sticking Up For The Little Guy
In a clever twist in the first film, Carol discovers that the villainous Skrulls are actually refugees looking to escape the oppressive Kree regime. Upon learning the truth, Carol becomes a protector of the Skrull. In Endgame, she explains that there are countless worlds in the galaxy that don't have the Avengers to protect them.
These are the kinds of adventures Captain Marvel should be having. Hopefully, the sequel will continue her mission of helping out the oppressed people of the universe who need a hero.
Improve: Needs A Challenge
While Captain Marvel's powers provide a lot of potential fun for the franchise, they also set up some potential problems. One of the biggest ones is that she needs to face a threat she cannot overpower.
In the first film, once Carol discovers her full potential, her enemies don't stand a chance. While the sequel could introduce a villain that is even more powerful than her, it might be more interesting to have a villain that is an intellectual superior who she can't just blast away.
