When Carol Danvers (AKA Captain Marvel) appeared in Avengers: Infinity War's only post-credits scene, fans were intrigued. Now that we know the superhero is getting her very own solo film in 2019, we have a lot of questions - namely, who is Captain Marvel?
The internet is an excellent resource for researching Carol’s comic book backstory, but fans will have to delve into amateur speculation for clues into her Marvel Cinematic Universe future. That’s where Captain Marvel fan theories come into play. Luckily, the internet is also a great outlet for nerdy fan chatter and guesswork.
Captain Marvel hits theaters on March 8, 2019, and stars Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jude Law, and Clark Gregg, among others. It’s also one of two films that will be released between Infinity War and its as-yet-untitled sequel. It should be noted, however, that Captain Marvel will take place in the 1990s, and is thus not chronologically in between the Avengers flicks.
Photo: user uploaded image
Chewie, Captain Marvel's Flerken Companion, Will Make An Appearance
When Marvel released the first proper Captain Marvel trailer mid-September 2018, they also unveiled a new poster. Fans got incredibly excited about a tiny detail - the rear-end of a cat.
Fans of the comics recognize this as Chewie. She was introduced in 2006's Giant-Size Ms. Marvel #1, and Captain Marvel gave her the name 'Chewie' (yes, after Star Wars's Chewbacca) in Ms. Marvel Vol. 2 #5. The cat is Carol Danvers's companion, and it seems she will be sticking close to her human hybrid's side in the 2019 film.
Chewie's not your average cat, either. She's actually a Flerken, an alien who appears as a cat, but has powers that go beyond scratching up your expensive furniture like your average Earth cat. Chewie can travel between dimensions, sports a terrifying pair of fangs, and even has tentacles hidden away for defensive purposes. In the comics, she whips out some of these defense measures after an encounter with Rocket Raccoon. While this meeting may not happen in Captain Marvel, Chewie's inclusion sets the stage for antics in the MCU.
The second trailer dropped on December 3, 2018, and the ending - where Nick Fury pets Carol's cat, who has been renamed Goose. Theories abounded about Goose, and they all weren't of the Flerken variety, either. Some fans think Goose is the one who scratches out Fury's eye. Others go as far as to suggest that Goose is not Carol's beloved Flerken pet, but rather a Skrull. In a conversation with Captain America in Winter Soldier, Fury tells him that "the last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye." Could he be talking about Goose, who could be a Skrull in disguise?
Nick Fury Will Lose His Eye During The Events Of 'Captain Marvel'
One of the great mysteries of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the fate of Nick Fury's eye. The '90s-set Captain Marvel - in which Samuel L. Jackson will portray a younger Fury - seems like the most likely time for the truth to be revealed.
Multiple people, including Redditor Elementlegen, have theorized that Fury will lose his eye at the shape-shifting hands of the Skrulls, the film’s confirmed antagonists. That would certainly explain one of Fury’s cryptic statements in Captain America: The Winter Soldier: “[The] last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye.” Losing a body part in a conflict with an alien disguised as a friend would undoubtedly qualify as a breach of trust!
Captain Marvel Will Be Powerful Enough To Wield The Infinity Gauntlet
There are many theories on how the Avengers will defeat Thanos in the Infinity War sequel, but an equally important question is how they will undo his infamous mass-murdering snap. None of the established MCU heroes seem powerful enough to wield the Infinity Gauntlet themselves, but Captain Marvel - who will reportedly be “by far the strongest character [the MCU has] ever had” - is a solid candidate.
That’s how Redditor mcu_infinitum sees it going down, with Carol Danvers using the Gauntlet to stop Thanos and reverse his genocidal thought experiment.
Melinda May From 'Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.' Was Inspired By Captain Marvel
With Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) confirmed to appear in Captain Marvel, many have speculated that he’ll be joined by long-time S.H.I.E.L.D. teammate Melinda May. As a main character on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., May has proven herself to be one of the most competent agents in the organization’s history. Redditor agent_flugelman even goes as far as to suggest Carol Danvers directly inspired by her.
Both are badass warriors with troubled pasts and a penchant for piloting, so the similarities are rather obvious. It’s not too much of a stretch to suggest a young May could make a brief cameo in the film.
Doctor Strange Is Going To Appear In 'Captain Marvel' Via Time Travel
Photo: Avengers: Infinity War/Marvel Studios
Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) did a lot of magical stuff over the course of Avengers: Infinity War. One of his most impressive acts involved using the Time Stone to visit millions of possible futures searching for a way to stop to Thanos. Multiple Redditors have suggested that Strange didn't just visit the future during this time-traveling tour de force, but also the past - specifically, the '90s-era past of Captain Marvel.
Some variants on the theory include Strange warning Nick Fury and company about Thanos ahead of time. A more likely scenario is that Strange will tell Fury to summon Carol Danvers when the time is right.
Captain Marvel Exists In An Alternate Timeline
Something that will have to be explained at some point in Captain Marvel is why the eponymous hero has sat out several alien invasions and a robot uprising or two. A variety of possible reasons have been suggested, but ScreenRant writer Alex Leadbeater has hit upon a unique idea - Captain Marvel exists within an alternate timeline to the mainstream MCU.
Doctor Strange’s Time Stone shenanigans have displayed the existence of multiple timelines in the MCU, and it’s theoretically possible that the entirety of Captain Marvel will take place in an alternate past.
