Stan Lee passed away during the editing of the film. As a result, Marvel Studios prepared a special opening logo to honor him.
The cutout character Vers stands on in the Blockbuster Video store was originally supposed to be from The Mask (1994); Vers mistook the green face for a Skrull, but the producers could not secure the rights from Warner Bros., which held the film's distribution rights and was also the rival company of Walt Disney Pictures. Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) from True Lies (1994) was chosen instead.
(At around the 37th minute) Samuel L. Jackson improvised checking the Skrull's trash under the sheet.
(At around the 30th minute) When Stan Lee makes his cameo, he is seen reading the script of Kevin Smith's Mallrats (1995) and reciting the line "Trust me true believer." As explained on Smith's YouTube page, Stan's health was declining and he could not muster his trademark enthusiasm, so the producers used unused audio of Lee from Mallrats.
(At around 1 hour 55 minutes) When Larson came to the set to shoot the post-credits scene, she was given a redacted script page in which everything except her own line was blacked out. No other actors were present. The crew could not even tell her who she was talking to. The other actors filmed their parts separately. Brie Larson was later digitally inserted into the scene.
(At around 1 hour 30 minutes) Nick Fury tells Goose, "I'm trusting you not to eat me," near the end of the film. Shortly afterward, Goose scratches Fury and ultimately causes him to lose his left eye, as he is last seen with a patch over it. This is a callback to Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), in which Fury says to Captain America, "Last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye."
Lee Pace reprises the role of Accuser Ronan in this film. However, he does not wear the iconic face paint made from Xandarian blood, because this film takes place before Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), where he first applied it.
Because Brie Larson is allergic to cats, the scenes featuring Goose were shot with a puppet or with computer-generated VFX.
In the comics, Captain Marvel's cat is named Chewie, inspired by Chewbacca from Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). In this film, the cat is named Goose, inspired by Goose Bradshaw from Top Gun (1986).
(At around 1 hour 17 minutes) While Monica Rambeau picks out a new color for Carol Danvers's team, we can see many references: a red and yellow suit (the colors worn by DC Comics' Captain Marvel, now known as Shazam), a black and gold suit (the colors of Carol Danvers's Ms. Marvel costume), and a white and green suit (the colors of the classic Kree armor in the comics).
In February 2019, Marvel launched the film's official website, mimicking 1990s design with HTML frames, various rainbow fonts, pixelated GIFs, a hit counter, a guestbook, and a low-resolution trailer framed inside a window resembling Real Player.
Goose is played by four different professional cat actors named Reggie, Gonzo, Archie and Rizzo.
Project PEGASUS stands for "Potential Energy Group/Alternate Sources/United States." It had previously been mentioned in The Avengers (2012).
There were concerns that Brie Larson was too young to play a pilot. Screenwriter Nicole Perlman consulted the U.S. Air Force, which said it was possible for someone between the ages of twenty-eight and thirty-four to be as successful a pilot as Danvers.
The security guard Captain Marvel speaks to at the beginning of the film is Marvel security director Barry Curtis.
(At around 20 minutes) Vers's scream at the snarling Skrull was devised on set. They liked the idea of small pieces of her humanity emerging before she realizes she is human.
Jude Law received advice about taking a role in this film from Robert Downey Jr., the star of Sherlock Holmes (2009), who plays Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Law said: "He talked a bit about how making a Marvel Cinematic Universe film fits this one piece into a bigger picture, and about surrendering yourself to it. It's not about trying to understand everything. Just do your part."
To prepare for the role of Captain Marvel, Brie Larson trained four hours a day for nine months, learning judo, boxing and wrestling. She also visited Nellis Air Force Base and met with active-duty airmen, including Brigadier General Jeannie Leavitt and Thunderbirds pilot Major Stephen 'Cajun' Del Bagno, who died in an accident and is honored in the film's credits. He and other members of the unit gave Brie Larson the call sign "Sparrow."
(At around 1 hour 50 minutes) In the film, Carol Danvers's pilot call sign is "Avenger," and Nick Fury names the heroes he finds to protect Earth. In the comics, Danvers was given the call sign "Cheeseburger."
In the film, Carol refers to Monica as "Lieutenant Trouble." In the comics, Lieutenant Trouble (a young girl named Kit Renner) was Captain Marvel's biggest fan and later became her friend.
The name "Captain Marvel" is never spoken in the film and does not appear in print until the end of the title sequence. In Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), the name is spoken by Spider-Man.
The final fight with Yon-Rogg was initially scripted as a fight Carol would win, but as production went on they realized Carol shouldn't be playing by his rules anymore.
(At about 24 minutes) Pancho's Bar is a reference to the female aviator Pancho Barnes and The Happy Bottom Riding Club, a hangout for test pilots at the site that would become Edwards Air Force Base in The Right Stuff (1983). While in the Blockbuster store, Vers picks up a VHS copy of The Right Stuff.
Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) and Clark Gregg (Phil Coulson) were digitally de-aged so their characters would resemble their younger selves, since the film is set in 1995. This was the first time Marvel Studios de-aged characters for an entire film. They had used this tactic before in Ant-Man (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 (2017) and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), but only for flashback scenes. They did the same to Tony Stark shortly before his death, when he gives a presentation with his family at the university.
In the comics, it isn't much of a stretch that the Skrulls turn out not to be the villains, as it emerges that the Kree were the ones who started their war.
Regarding the comics, the history of the character name and/or trademark "Captain Marvel" spans decades and at least three different publishers. The first comic book character named "Captain Marvel," introduced in late 1939 and known today as DC Comics' "Shazam!," was Fawcett Comics' flagship character. Fawcett was sued by DC in 1941, which claimed Captain Marvel infringed on Superman's copyright, and Fawcett successfully ceased publication of the character in 1953. When Fawcett's trademark on "Captain Marvel" lapsed into obscurity after more than a decade of disuse, MF Enterprises tried to introduce its own "Captain Marvel" in 1966. The Marvel Comics Group/Marvel Comics responded by introducing its own "Captain Marvel" (Mar-Vell) and successfully sued MF for using the word "Marvel" in the title of its publications, which Marvel Comics had trademarked. When DC decided to revive Fawcett's "Captain Marvel" itself in 1972, it learned that it could not use "Captain Marvel" in the comic's title because of Marvel's trademark (through Marvel's 1974 cease-and-desist). DC instead marketed its character under the name "Shazam!" — the name of Captain Marvel's mentor and the magic word the character uses to access his powers. For Marvel to maintain its trademark, it had to publish "Captain Marvel" comics. Marvel, which did not have a popular, money-making character, fulfilled this requirement for several years by publishing a one-off comic book series. In 2012, Carol Danvers, the former "Ms. Marvel" and the protagonist of this film, took the title "Captain Marvel" at Marvel, while DC also decided during this period to rename its character "Shazam!" Ironically, New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment/DC Films' Shazam! (2019) was released in theaters a month after Marvel Studios' "Captain Marvel."
(At about 43 minutes) Fury's ID showed that he only had level 3 clearance at that point.
The producers discussed various options for how Fury would realize that Keller is actually a Skrull named Talos, and settled on the man referring to him as Nicholas. Anna Boden's favorite was Fury telling Keller that his shoelaces are untied, and then Keller having no idea how to tie the shoe.
Carol's powers came from the exploding Pegasus ship engine. We later learn that the engine was powered by the Tesseract, making Captain Marvel the first (chronologically) MCU hero whose powers derive from an Infinity Stone (the Space Stone is hidden inside her). Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch and her brother Pietro/Quicksilver would be the second two (Mind Stone), followed by Vision (also the Mind Stone).
(At about 31 minutes) The elderly woman's stunt double during the train fight is Heidi Moneymaker. Brie Larson's stunt double is Renae Moneymaker. "So there are two sisters fighting each other for a lot of this sequence."
Ben Mendelsohn used a native Australian accent while playing the alien Skrull Talos. When Talos takes human form, Mendelsohn used an American accent.
The Nine Inch Nails (NIN) shirt Carol wears is a bootleg item. According to the band's former art director, Rob Sheridan, the rectangle surrounding the NIN logo should be the same width as the typography in the logo. Marvel later contacted Nine Inch Nails and an official NIN shirt was released in commemoration of Captain Marvel.
Goose has human-level intelligence (she is an alien species known as a Flerken). Her most notable trait is her clear sense of right and wrong. She warms to both Carol and Fury easily, seeing their innate goodness beyond their tough exteriors. She also purrs and rubs against Talos's leg while the heroes (and the audience) still believe the Skrulls are the villains. In the end, she was able to recognize the Skrulls disguised as Kree soldiers on Mar-Vell's ship.
(Around 38 minutes) In the film, Carol Danvers visits a bar called Pancho's, where she experiences flashbacks to her previous life on Earth as a test pilot for the Air Force. Named after the Pancho's Happy Bottom Riding Club, Pancho's Bar was a real bar/ranch/hotel located near Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert in the 1940s. It once hosted many famous test pilots such as Chuck Yeager, Bob Hoover, Jack Ridley, James Doolittle and Buzz Aldrin. It was owned by female aviation pioneer Pancho Barnes. She was an air race pilot and Hollywood stunt pilot, and even replaced Amelia Earhart as the holder of the highest speed record. There is no doubt that this reference is a double nod to Pancho Barnes's pioneering contributions to women in aviation and her connection to the Edwards test pilot community.
Samuel L. Jackson described this version of Nick Fury as a desk jockey who has not yet become cynical about bureaucracy and still has both eyes good.
(Around 33 minutes) The writer of Captain Marvel (2012-2015) appears as a spectator looking at Vers at the train station.
Throughout the history of Marvel Comics Group/Marvel Comics, eight different characters have taken the name "Captain Marvel." Three of them appear in this film: Carol Danvers (the most famous version, previously known as Ms. Marvel), Mar-Vell (the original version, a Kree alien and superhero) and Monica Rambeau (who briefly held the title of Captain Marvel).
This film is set in the 1990s and serves as a prequel story for well-known Marvel Cinematic Universe characters Nick Fury, Phil Coulson, Korath the Pursuer and Ronan the Accuser.
In the film, Talos claims that all Skrulls are shapeshifters. However, in the comics, Talos is one of the few Skrulls who cannot shapeshift.
When Brie Larson's casting was announced at Comic-Con, CNN ran the headline "Shazam! Brie Larson is 'Captain Marvel'," apparently unaware that they were thinking of the wrong Captain Marvel.
Pınar Toprak composed the film's music, becoming the first woman to score an MCU film.
Jamie McKelvie, who designed Carol's Captain Marvel costume in the comics (it began being used from 2012), praised the film costume for staying closely faithful to his work.
(Around the 40th minute) Fury says he likes working in places that start with the letter "B" because he can make it rhyme. In Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Alexander Pierce mentions a rescue mission Fury launched in Bogota against orders.
(Around the 42nd minute) Fury says no one calls him "Nick." In MCU films set later in the timeline, Tony Stark and Agent Maria Hill call him "Nick."
The film became the first in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to have a female lead, and its first screening in cinemas took place on International Women's Day.
Maria Rambeau's pilot call sign is Photon. In the comics, her daughter Monica Rambeau gained superpowers similar to Captain Marvel's and briefly took the title of Photon (she also had other titles - Captain Marvel, Pulsar, Spectrum).
Most of the songs featured in the film are sung by female artists of the '90s; Des'ree [You Gotta Be], No Doubt [Just a Girl], Garbage [Only Happy When It Rains], TLC [Waterfalls], Salt-N-Pepa [Whatta Man] and others.
(Around 1 hour 55 minutes) The mid-credits scene was directed by the Russo brothers, who had previously directed Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
The battle helmet Captain Marvel wears during her missions and in space is a nod to the original character. The helmet features the iconic mohawk haircut Captain Marvel is often depicted with in the comics. There was some debate among fans about Brie Larson's hairstyle; many fans claimed it was too long and did not sufficiently resemble the usual short hairstyle Captain Marvel wears in the comics.
(Around 25 minutes) The special key Vers removes from her suit to connect to 1990s technology and return home is later (around 1 hour 45 minutes) part of the pager she gives to Nick Fury.
This film has two post-credit scenes. One sets up Avengers: Endgame (2019), while the other concludes Captain Marvel.
Because Brie Larson had previously spoken out against the underrepresentation of women, Black people and disabled people among journalists and film critics, many internet users reacted aggressively to the perception of the film as having a "feminist agenda and political correctness." This led to a large number of negative ratings on many review sites (including IMDb) weeks before the film's release. As a result, Rotten Tomatoes changed its policy so that it would no longer accept reviews and ratings for a film that had not yet been released.
The film included the cinematic debut of the Marvel alien race the Skrulls. In the comics, the Skrulls first appeared in a "Fantastic Four" adventure.
The character Monica Rambeau is a young girl in this film. In the Disney+ series WandaVision, she appears as an adult and is a member of SWORD.
Because a large part of this film takes place in space, and possibly because the Kree use similar technology; the on-screen iconography of the film's location indicators (font, coordinates), although not identical, closely resembles the location displays in the Guardians of the Galaxy films.
Carol cannot breathe in space without the helmet that emerges from her suit. However, when she unleashes her full power, she can 'breathe'/survive without the helmet, as shown at the film's climax.
The producers stated that 1990s action films influenced the film's action, in keeping with the period in which the film is set.
Applying the Skrull makeup took two hours.
This was the twenty-first film released by Marvel Studios for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The film is based on the "Kree-Skrull War" story written by Roy Thomas and published in issues 89-97 of The Avengers between June 1971 and March 1972. Carol Danvers had only a minor role in the story before gaining her superhuman abilities in 1977.
The film is based on Captain Marvel/Ms. Marvel/Carol Danvers, a pilot who gains her superpowers during an incident involving an alien ship, but the origin consists of the alien Captain Marvels, Walter Lawson/Mar-Vell and Khn'nr. Both Kree and Skrull soldiers come to Earth and decide to defend it. Moreover, the tampering with Khn'nr's memory causes him to suffer from the identity crisis that Carol experiences in this film.
This was the first chronological film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since Agent Phil Coulson was stabbed by Loki and apparently killed in The Avengers (2012). It was later revealed that he survived, as explained in the television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013).
(At about 1 hour 30 minutes) Goose swallows the Tesseract for safekeeping, serving as a kind of incubator. This may be a nod to The Avengers (2012), in which Natasha Romanoff approaches Bruce Banner to inform him about the Tesseract. His response to her: "What does Fury want me to do, swallow it?"
In the comics, Mar-Vell was a male Kree who was caught in an explosion while saving Carol Danvers, and the explosion transferred his powers to her by imprinting his DNA onto hers. In the film, this changed somewhat, with Mar-Vell being a female Kree who built the core that gave Carol her powers when it exploded. This marks the fourth time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that a character portrayed in a film/TV series is the opposite gender of the character's original version in the comics. The first was Jeri Hogarth in Jessica Jones (2015), the second was the Ancient One in Doctor Strange (2016), and the third was Ghost in Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018).
In the film, Nick Fury loses his eye when Goose scratches his face. In the comics, he loses it during World War II when he catches a live grenade and immediately throws it. A piece of shrapnel from the explosion lodged in his eye. Fury decides to forgo surgery to repair it and wears a patch instead.
(At about 1 hour 45 minutes) Monica Rambeau talks about building a spaceship and flying into space. Fury says she should shine like her Aunt Carol. This may foreshadow the story in a future Captain Marvel film. In the comics, Monica grows up, is charged by rays from space, and can fly at the speed of light.
This was the first film released in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after Stan Lee's death.
For the look of the Skrull transformations, the producers used real-world animal biology, particularly videos of octopuses, as a reference.
During Danvers's interrogation by the Skrulls, she sees a picture of a burning piano. This act is practiced by RAF and USAF pilots to commemorate ceremonies or in memory of pilots who never returned home.
(At about the 42nd minute) Nick Fury's full name is given as Nicholas Joseph Fury. In Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), he mentioned only the middle initial, "J."
Quantum physicist Spyridon Michalakis from the California Institute of Technology's Institute for Quantum Information and Matter was consulted for the film.
Most of the quadjet consists of visual effects, but the front/cockpit is a practical piece they had to share with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013).
This film marked the second director duo in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after the Russo Brothers (Joe Russo and Anthony Russo), this time Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden. Boden was also the first female director of a Marvel film.
(At about 1 hour 27 minutes) The use of Nirvana's "Come As You Are" as Vers (Brie Larson) confronts the Supreme Intelligence (Annette Bening) has multiple associations while discussing memories, something Vers gradually regains throughout the film. The song's title aligns with the Supreme Intelligence ultimately revealing itself as it truly is, in this case not a "friend" but an "unknown enemy." It is also the only 90s song used in the film sung by a man. All the other songs are sung by women. The use of this song in this scene represents Captain Marvel's (temporary) weakness at the hands of the Supreme Intelligence. When she becomes aware of her power and destroys the inhibiting device, No Doubt's "I'm Just A Girl" begins to play.
Initially, during the attack on Torfa, they discussed putting Ronan at the head of the Accuser attack ships, but ultimately decided it would be more effective to hold him back until later. It would also have revealed the Kree's true identity as the villain too early.
The film is set in 1995.
In the secret file room, there were several boxes behind Carol with the name Kevin Larosa written on them. Kevin LaRosa is the film's stunt aviation coordinator.
They paid close attention to the blocking and visual effects to ensure the exploding photon power source detonated specifically toward Carol, so that there would be no doubt as to why Yon-Rogg did not gain powers.
While in his prosthetic makeup, Ben Mendelsohn was referred to as 'Ben Mendelskrull'.
The producers debated which was more 90s, "fresh" or "dope", and ultimately decided they were equally correct, then chose "fresh."
The Kree control disk on Vers's neck also appears in season 5 of Agents of SHIELD, which deals with the remnants of a shepherd humanity under Kree control in an alternate future. A similar device used by the character The Controller, who at one point served as an agent of Thanos, has also appeared in the comics.
(At about the 43rd minute) Nick Fury's ID card shows his birthday as July 4, 1950, which makes him 45 years old in this film. In real life, Samuel L. Jackson was born on December 21, 1948.
This was the first solo female film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), released a year earlier, was led by a male-female superhero duo.
Nicole Perlman had previously written the first draft of Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).
(At about 1 hour 22 minutes) Goose ranks first among everyone in the film who touches the Tesseract. She checked it with her paw.
In the film, Soh-Larr (Chuku Modu) is a Kree spy investigating the Skrulls. In the comics, he was the father of Dorrek Supreme, the first Kree-Skrull hybrid.
Although this film takes place before Avengers: Endgame (2019) and was released earlier, it was actually shot after Avengers: Endgame (2019).
In Agents of S. H. I. E. L. D. (2013), Phil Coulson is resurrected using Kree biology in a project labeled "TAHITI".
In the film, Mar-Vell is killed by Yon-Rogg, while the destruction of an experimental engine powered by the Tesseract causes Danvers to gain cosmic powers. In the comics, Danvers got her powers from a similar event, a fight between Yon-Rogg and Mar-Vell, but at that time Mar-Vell survived and it was an alien device that granted superpowers.
(At about 1 hour 35 minutes) "We went through so many songs that we experimented with for this sequence," says Ryan Fleck about the fight scene where they ultimately scored with No Doubt's "Just a Girl." They looked at tracks from the 60s, 70s and 80s but ultimately decided to go with the obvious choice.
In keeping with the period in which the film is set, the action draws inspiration from many 1990s action films. For example, Vers's argument with Yon-Rogg and her meeting with the Supreme Intelligence in a giant simulation recall scenes from The Matrix (1999); the scene where Vers can board a moving train recalls the finale of Speed (1994), while the dogfight in the canyon at the end amounts to an almost shot-for-shot homage to a similar scene in Independence Day (1996).
It was said that Katheryn Winnick, Natalie Dormer, Emily Blunt, Katee Sackhoff, Yvonne Strahovski and Rebecca Ferguson would star.
Contrary to popular belief, Fury did not "lose" his eye as revealed in Winter Soldier. So he never replaces it with the fake glass in the bag Coulson gave him. As a former spy, he is trained in keeping secrets, and as Fury says to Pierce in Winter Soldier, "if you want to be in front of me, you need to keep BOTH eyes open." Also, rumors that Fury's eye was burned out by the Kree are a new addition to Fury's mystery and legend, far less embarrassing than having his eye scratched by an alien creature in the form of an Earth cat.
(At about the 25th minute) One of the communication devices Carol salvages as parts is a Nintendo Game Boy.
Keanu Reeves nearly took on the role of Yon-Rogg.
The first trailer received 109 million online views in its first 24 hours. This was the fourth Marvel trailer to be viewed more than 100 million times in that time frame, after Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018).
(At about the 17th minute) The Skrull's momentary image as it approaches the camera briefly shifts into a more humanoid form, later revealing that the person in that moment was actually Yon-Rogg.
Although this is not the first film to feature a female superhero, it is the first film written primarily by women. Supergirl (1984), Catwoman (2004), Elektra (2005) and Wonder Woman (2017) were written by men. The closest was Catwoman (2004), which gave a writing credit to Theresa Rebeck. However, that film also had three male writers.
The film is not a traditional origin story, because the hero already has her powers when the film begins.
(At about 1 hour 25 minutes) The video game one of the Skrull children has mastered over the past six years is Bally/Midway's Space Invaders.
(At about 1 hour 50 minutes) At the end, Carol wears her old Air Force flight jacket over the Captain Marvel costume. This is consistent with the mid-1990s cliché of superheroes wearing "edgy" costumes that always included a leather flight jacket.
This second film in the MCU carries Pulp Fiction (1994) references dating back to Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). This film has the shot of Phil Coulson and Nick Fury in the car, the same shot with John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson, and the cup Talos sips from is a nod to Pulp Fiction (1994), in which Jackson's character Jules Winfield borrows a cup to wash down his burger. The opening of the glowing lunchbox also references the briefcase. In CA: TWS, Nick Fury's gravestone bears the inscription "The path of the righteous man Ezekiel 25:17," which Winfield reads in Pulp Fiction.
Carol Danvers, played by Brie Larson, goes back to her time at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) in Colorado Springs, CO. In the second half of the six-week Basic Cadet Training (BCT), or "2nd Beast," she appears to be climbing/jumping/swinging on ropes at the Confidence Course in Jacks Valley; she is directed by a cadet upper-class officer, a Cadet First Class or "Firstie." The Basic Cadet uniform Danvers wears is correct, except for the PC (Physical Conditioning) shirt with her surname on it. Basic Cadets generally have to hand-write their surnames on USAFA's with a black Sharpie, because typed print is considered a privilege granted as an upper-class cadet.
This is the first Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures-distributed film not to be released on Netflix after The Walt Disney Company allowed its licensing agreement with Netflix to expire. Disney instead released this film on its own subscription service, Disney+.
In the film, Dr. Lawson (Mar-Vell) has brown hair, while the Dr. Lawson avatar used by the Supreme Intelligence has gray hair. This likens her to Phyla-Vell, Mar-Vell's daughter in the comics, who briefly held the title of Captain Marvel and also took other names (Quasar, Martyr).
In the film, the plane crash is said to have occurred in 1989, the year Brie Larson was born.
(At about the 38th minute) While Vers/Captain Marvel looks around the bar and recalls her past experiences there, she notices an arcade cabinet of the Street Fighter video game. Since the 1996 premiere of the film X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996), a year after the year this film was shot, Capcom Company has released fighting video games pitting its characters against Marvel Comics superheroes. However, Captain Marvel did not appear in any of them until Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite (2017), released in 2017.
Brie Larson became the second Oscar winner to play a lead character in an MCU film, after Robert Downey Jr. in the Iron Man trilogy. However, since Downey did not win until Oppenheimer (2023), Larson was the first to win before joining the MCU. Four nominees also played title characters: * Edward Norton - The Incredible Hulk (2008) * Benedict Cumberbatch - Doctor Strange (2016) and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) * Chadwick Boseman - Black Panther (2018) * Scarlett Johansson - Black Widow (2021).
(At about 1 hour 16 minutes) Monica scolds her mother for not wanting to fly a suicide mission against a technically more advanced alien force, and asks whether she would rather stay home and watch The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990). When Monica helps Carol redesign her uniform, she describes Carol's new look as "Fresh." Akira Akbar, who plays Monica here, played Ashley Banks in the reboot Bel-Air (2022).
(At about the 23rd minute) The VHS tapes on the shelf include Hook (1991), First Knight (1995), Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986), Junior (1994) and Just Cause (1995). The film she examines is The Right Stuff (1983), about test pilots who join the space program. Among the aircraft tested was the Lockheed F-104, which could fly from the ground to the edge of the atmosphere. Danvers's suppressed memories concern her being a test pilot who took an experimental aircraft and flew it from the ground to the edge of the atmosphere.
This is the MCU's second prequel after Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).
When Brie Larson was announced for the Marvel panel at the end of San Diego Comic-Con, Doctor Strange (2016), Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 (2017), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and Black Panther (2018).
In the train scene, about 30 minutes before and during Stan Lee's cameo, a soft version of Michael Giacchino's Marvel Studios fanfare plays in the background. The film's score was composed by Pınar Toprak, but Giacchino admitted in a Twitter post, with some hints, that he had helped.
The film was announced at a Marvel event in October 2014.
Comic book writer Roy Thomas explained that the Kree-Skrull war plan was one that would turn the planet Earth into "the cosmic equivalent of some Pacific island during World War II."
In the comics, Yon-Rogg and Mar-Vell became enemies when Yon-Rogg, out of jealousy, betrayed Mar-Vell and accidentally killed his girlfriend.
Films listed as references include Gimme Shelter (1970), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), The French Connection (1971), The Conversation (1974), The Godfather (1972), Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) and Top Gun (1986).
A kissing scene between Carol (Brie Larson) and Yon-Rogg (Jude Law) was filmed but later cut because the writers felt it would be demeaning to a strong character like Carol Danvers. There were also concerns about whether it would glorify workplace sexual assault. However, one line from the scene was kept in the film ("You kiss like a horse") and can be heard when Carol is sent into a memory trance by the Supreme Intelligence (Annette Bening).
Wonder Woman (2017) became the highest-grossing film by a female director in domestic box office revenue.
(Around 25 minutes) Near the phone booth there is a poster advertising a concert to be held on Friday and Saturday, September 15-16, 1995. The bill lists Bush, Hum and The Toadies; all of them were bands active at the time. The venue is the Warfield Auditorium in San Francisco.
The Tesseract (previously shown in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), The Avengers (2012), Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018)) appears in this film.
This is the second Marvel film to feature a main character (hero/antagonist) who is a US service academy graduate, but the first to explicitly show this character's time as a student/soldier on screen. While Erik Killmonger's time at the United States Naval Academy is only mentioned in Black Panther (2018), which reveals he was commissioned from Annapolis at age 19 (possibly as a US Navy SEAL officer), this film includes a clip of Carol Danvers attempting an obstacle course as a Basic Cadet at the United States Air Force Academy during Second Beast (basic training camp for first-year students before the Fall Term). It is also worth noting that James Rhodes (War Machine) is known to wear a USAFA graduation ring on one of his fingers, so she is not the first Air Force graduate to grace the MCU screen.
In the original comics, Carol was an alcoholic. The writers had to ignore this trait to make her more palatable to audiences.
(Around 14 minutes) The hangar door shot was actually the opening shot of the film in an earlier draft of the script.
Brie Larson (Carol Danvers) and medical doctor Nelson Franklin appeared in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010). Brie Larson played Envy Adams, while Nelson Franklin played Comeau.
Although Carol Danvers appears as a significant character at the end of Avengers: Infinity War (2018), she appears for a fairly short time in Avengers: Endgame (2019).
Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson had previously appeared in Farce of the Penguins (2006), Unicorn Store (2017) and Kong: Skull Island (2017).
Yon-Rogg, Aldrich Killian from Iron Man 3 (2013), The Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes and Alexander Pierce from Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), and Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 (2017). All the other villains either developed their intentions as villains or were clearly evil from their first appearance.
(Around 1 hour 28 minutes) Nick Fury mentions the Hannibal Lecter character, made famous by Anthony Hopkins, who has appeared as Odin many times in the MCU. Mads Mikkelsen, who appeared in "Doctor Strange", also played Hannibal in the TV series of the same name.
(Around 1 hour 23 minutes) When Captain Marvel and her allies explore Dr. Lawson's (Annette Bening) laboratory, there is a sticky note on the computer monitor that reads "What planet are you from?", which is also the title of a 2000 film starring Bening and the late MCU alumnus Garry Shandling (who also appeared in Iron Man 2 (2010) and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)).
In the scene where Carol (Brie Larson) confronts the Supreme Intelligence (Annette Bening), Nirvana's song 'Come As You Are' can be heard from a record player. The single premiered in 1991 on the album 'Nevermind'; since Carol was abducted by the Kree in 1989, she had never even heard of it.
This film marked Jude Law's debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the Kree Yon-Rogg. Law had previously played Dr. John Watson in Sherlock Holmes (2009); he starred alongside Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes and Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler. Downey Jr. is also part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe cast and has played Tony Stark since his role in Iron Man (2008); Rachel McAdams is part of the MCU as Dr. Christine Palmer in Doctor Strange (2016). The MCU cast now also includes Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch, who played Watson and Holmes in Sherlock (2010).
When Vers is impressed by Fury using a piece of tape to lift his security guard's fingerprint off a SHIELD badge, Fury says, "You should see what I can do with a paperclip". This relates to Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), in which Project Insight was made possible by bringing Dr. Arnim Zola to the United States as a fictional part of the real-world "Operation Paperclip", which brought prominent German scientists to the US to work on projects such as the space program and nuclear energy and weapons programs.
Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) in the Marvel Comics Universe and Supergirl (Kara Danvers) in the DC Comics universe share the same surname; Danvers. Kara Danvers was adopted by the Danvers family. Both have similar superhuman powers.
Gemma Chan, Toby Jones (Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)), Talulah Riley (Thor: The Dark World (2013)), Jenna Coleman and David Bradley (Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)), Christopher Eccleston (Thor: The Dark World (2013)) are the tenth actor from Doctor Who (2005) to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Tony Curran (Thor: The Dark World (2013)), Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019)), Peter Serafinowicz (Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)) and Riann Steele (Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)).
The film's official trailer aired on Good Morning America (1975) on Tuesday, September 18, 2018. Today is the birthday of the United States Air Force (September 18, 1947).
The colors of the experimental plane Carol flies are the same as those of the Colonial Vipers in Battlestar Galactica (1978) and the X-wings in the original Star Wars trilogy.
The entire purpose of the opening dream imagery was to set up the mystery surrounding Vers's past and her connection to Dr. Wendy Lawson.
(At about the 36th minute) The wide shot is taken directly from the "Secret Invasion" comic book run.
In the first draft of the script, Carol got her powers from saving a fallen Kree warrior. This idea was scrapped because it was too similar to the box-office bomb Green Lantern (2011).
Joss Whedon wanted to make a Captain Marvel film in 2014 but passed on it for Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).
Joss Whedon initially considered adding Captain Marvel to the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) but couldn't find the right actress in time. He used a stunt double for the role, but later digitally added Elizabeth Olsen's face to turn her into Scarlet Witch. Future Captain Marvel actress Brie Larson was still a struggling actress when the film was released.
Ryan Fleck worked at a Blockbuster Video in 1995.
The shortlist to direct the film included Elizabeth Wood, Emily Carmichael, Rachel Talalay, Niki Caro, Lesli Linka Glatter, Lorene Scafaria and Rebecca Thomas.
This is the second film in which Samuel L. Jackson helps an amnesiac woman explore her past. The first was The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996).
The record player playing Nirvana's "Come as You Are" is a Dual 1218 made by United Audio. This popular model was made in the early 1970s.
Both Ben Mendelsohn (as Orson Krennic) and Samuel L. Jackson (as Mace Windu) appear in the Star Wars series.
Yon-Rogg's name is not spoken until the end of the second act, with only 45 minutes left in the film.
One of two 2019 theatrical releases to feature a VHS copy of The Right Stuff (1983). Us (2019) is the other.
This film adds the seventh and eighth actors from the Sherlock Holmes series to appear in the MCU: Jude Law and Gemma Chan. Law joined his own Sherlock, Robert Downey Jr.; Chan played Soo Lin Yao in The Blind Banker (2010) alongside her co-stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. John C. Reilly appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Holmes & Watson (2018). Rachel McAdams (from Doctor Strange (2016)) was also part of Robert Downey Jr.'s Sherlock Holmes series. Sir Ben Kingsley played the smarter Dr. Watson in Without a Clue (1988).
If Carol had disabled her powers while facing Yon-Rogg in the desert at the end of the film, the scene would have resembled the fight between Captain America and Batroc the Leaper in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014).
(At about 1 hour 16 minutes) Monica scolds her mother for not wanting to fly a suicide mission against a technically superior alien force and asks whether she would rather stay home and watch The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990). The lead character of Fresh Prince is played by Will Smith, who would fly a suicide mission against a technically superior alien force as Captain Hiller in Independence Day (1996). When Monica helps Carol redesign her uniform, she describes Carol's new look as "Fresh." Independence Day, and also mentions that it stars Jeff Goldblum, who appears as the Grandmaster in Thor: Ragnarok (2017).
DeWanda Wise was preparing for the role of Maria Rambeau in this film before leaving due to scheduling conflicts.
Vers is punished for using her photon blast during a martial arts fight, and while it seems extremely logical to teach someone how to control their power and know when to use it, Yon-Rogg doing so carries a negative meaning here. It's a complicated idea — the big reveal later shows that the Kree were trying to limit her, meaning this attempt at control is a bad thing, but the idea itself remains a responsible one that we teach our children every day.
Brie Larson and Clark Gregg had previously appeared together in Hoot (2006), playing something like enemies.
One of two films released in 2019 adapted from a Marvel comic set in the 1990s and featuring shape-shifting aliens as characters. X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019) is the other.
Minn-Erva, a Kree played by Gemma Chan, is also known as Doctor Minerva in the Marvel Comics universe. Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's earlier film It's Kind of a Funny Story (2010) featured a character named Dr. Minerva.
Ronda Rousey expressed interest in playing the lead role.
Released one month before the DCEU's Shazam! (2019). Coincidentally, when Fawcett Comics first published that superhero in 1939, Shazam's original superhero name was Captain Marvel.
The film was directed by Jennifer Kent and Jennifer Yuh Nelson.
It has one Oscar winner: Brie Larson, and six Oscar nominees: Samuel L. Jackson, Jude Law, Annette Bening, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle and Mark Ruffalo.
It is one of two 2019 films to feature No Doubt's song "Just a Girl." A Dog's Journey (2019) is the other.
Algenis Perez Soto plays Att-lass in the Star Force team, and he had previously worked with them on the film Sugar (2008).
After Rachael Taylor (Maggie Madsen, Trish Walker), Hugo Weaving (Megatron, Red Skull), Kelsey Grammer (Harold Attinger, Beast), Titus Welliver (James Savoy, Felix Blake), Nicola Peltz Beckham (Tessa, Jane), Stanley Tucci (Joshua Joyce/Merlin, Abraham Erskine), Laura Haddock (Vivian Wembley, Meredith Quill), Omar Sy (Hot Rod, Bishop), Sir Anthony Hopkins (Sir Edmund Burton, Odin) and Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (Memo, Jason Ionello), Gemma Chan is the eleventh actor from the "Transformers" films (having previously played Quintessa) to appear in a Marvel superhero film.
It is the second film starring Clark Gregg set in the 1990s, the other being The To-Do List (2013), which was set in 1993. Aubrey Plaza, who appeared alongside Brie Larson (Carol Danvers) in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010), also starred in this film.
Jude Law had previously been considered for four other Marvel roles: * Spider-Man in Spider-Man (2002) * Mr. Fantastic or Dr. Doom in Fantastic Four (2005) * Aldrich Killian in Iron Man 3 (2013).
Annette Bening had previously starred with MCU actor Mark Ruffalo in The Kids Are All Right (2010), though this was actually before he took on the role of Bruce Banner/Hulk.
Jude Law and Ben Mendelsohn had previously starred together in "Black Sea."
Jude Law and Vik Sahay were also together in eXistenZ (1999).
After Marvel Studios was impressed by her work on Unbroken (2014), Angelina Jolie was considered to direct. She took on the role of Thena in Eternals (2021).
It is the third Marvel film with a female lead after Elektra (2005) and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018).
Kristanna Loken, Katherine Heigl, Elisabeth Röhm, Adrianne Palicki, A. J. Cook and Teresa Palmer were suggested by fans to play Carol Danvers.
The film made the shortlist for the Best Visual Effects Oscar but was not nominated.