Captain Marvel: A Carol Christmas Mission

Captain Marvel: A Carol Christmas Mission is a television special for Disney+. It is a Marvel Studios Special Presentation for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the second Christmas-themed special of that nature after the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, and is produced by Marvel Studios.
== Plot ==
Following the Battle of Earth (as depicted in Avengers: Endgame), Nick Fury, working with the Skrulls in deep space, sent classified information about the universe's many known worlds, including the Kree Empire, to the Pentagon. In response, the US Air Force, NASA and SWORD reactivated Project Pegasus using some salvaged power cores, which were secretly developed by Mar-Vell in addition to the one where Carol Danvers got her powers from (as depicted in Captain Marvel). The Air Force's top pilots and scientists and several former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were recruited into the Pegasus task force, where they salvaged and confiscated crashed alien ships from across the globe, including Kree ones, as well as Helicarrier wreckages from the remains of the Triskellion in Washington, D.C. (which was destroyed in Captain America: The Winter Soldier), and began reverse-engineering them into an advanced space Helicarrier.
Three years later, and also a year after the events of both The Marvels and the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, Carol continues fighting crime across the universe as Captain Marvel and serving as Princess of Aladna. On Hala, with remote assistance from her husband, Prince Yan, and Fury, she protects a group of Skrulls who manage to steal some data from a rogue Kree faction for Fury, and allows them to escape with the help of Valkyrie, despite a brief confrontation with Yon-Rogg, the leader of the faction. She returns to Aladna, and invites Kamela Khan and the latter's family to celebrate Christmas with her and Yan, but after Thanksgiving, Fury informs Carol that she has been called back to the US Air Force on Earth for the first time in over 35 years.
With the Pentagon having received Fury's data, the Air Force has completed its space Helicarrier, now known as the USS Sleigh, and been assigned to destroy a Kree factory, the largest and most advanced of its kind, on Hala, with the data revealing that the weapons and ships produced there pose a threat to their new Kree allies, which they gained since Carol restored Hala's sunlight (as depicted in The Marvels), as well as that the rogue faction secretly intends to use them to attack various Christmas celebrations across the universe, to horrify hundreds of worlds into submission to the Kree. The factory sits in an underground bunker below a city on Hala, and is defended by sixth-generation Kree starships and surface-to-air missiles. Carol devises a plan to create a diversion so eight F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft can attack and, to that end, is assigned to train a squadron of specialist pilots, the Reindeer, so-called because their callsigns are named after Santa's reindeer, assembled by General Michael "Spike" Winston. One of the pilots is Carol's older brother, Lt. Steve "Comet" Danvers.
After contacting Yan to have him evacuate civilians from the Kree city without alerting Yon-Rogg's faction, Carol reunites with Comet, who she hasn't seen since her presumed death in 1989, and meets the other pilots. He explains that, years after joining the Air Force, he realized her identity during the Battle of Earth, and when Talos and Soren informed him of what happened to her before their deaths (as depicted in Secret Invasion), he convinced the Pentagon to reactivate Pegasus, hoping to use the acquired technology for revenge.
Over three weeks, Carol begins training the pilots. First, she out-dogfights them to win their respect, and attempts to resolve a clash between Comet and Lt. Brad "Blitzen" Hansen: Comet dislikes Blitzen's selfish, cavalier attitude, while Blitzen criticizes Comet's big temper and cautious flying. While watching Braveheart at his home one night, Comet eventually confides to Carol that their father, Joseph, was also in the Air Force, Carol flew like he did before her crash, and Comet, angry at him for constantly trying to discourage Carol, spitefully started flying cautiously to try and one-up him. The siblings grow closer afterwards.
On the day of the mission, the pilots leave in the Sleigh, launching it from the original Pegasus base (rebuilt since its destruction in The Avengers). They reach Hala in seconds, due to the jump-point network and the Sleigh's speed capabilities. Carol anticipates an ambush by a fleet of Kree space pods, and quickly destroys them before they can contact anyone on Hala. Realizing where they came from, Carol has the Sleigh crew destroy their military base, and several weapon towers surrounding the bunker's entrance, with Tomahawk cruise missiles while the pilots take off in their F/A-18s, led by Comet and his WSO Lt. Wendy "Cupid" Lewis. Yon-Rogg ambushes Carol from the ground while leading a convoy delivering materials to the factory. He begins to overpower her using his new weapons, but realizes she is faking weakness as a diversion; despite this, the pilots manage to destroy the factory, in the process devastating the city, but are engaged by the SAMs and sixth-generation ships afterwards. Comet attacks Yon-Rogg, using a move that Joseph had always failed at, to allow Carol to escape; she spares him but vows to kill him if he comes for her or any of her allies, Comet likewise vows to torture him to death if they meet again. Yan and his guards arrive, having successfully evacuated the city before the mission, and have Yon-Rogg arrested for various war crimes, including those connected to Carol's past.
Attempting to leave with Yan, Carol realizes Comet and Cupid have been shot down, rescues them and helps them onto his ship, but they are pursued by Kree space pods. As they approach Hala's upper atmosphere, Carol realizes that she will not be able to save Yan, Comet and Cupid from the whole fleet, but Blitzen, Lt. Ali "Dancer" Blake and their respective WSOs, Lt. Lily "Vixen" Martin and Lt. Mavis "Prancer" Blake (Dancer's twin sister), join the fight and rescue them. They return to the Sleigh safely.
The pilots arrive on Aladna on Christmas Day, where Carol celebrates Christmas with Yan, Kamela, the other pilots and her parents, Joseph and Marie, telling them her story. Before dying of cancer, Joseph apologizes for his past shortcomings, Marie encourages Carol to keep flying, and they reconcile; Yon-Rogg watches in disdain from his cell. After Carol uses her powers to cremate her parents' bodies, the pilots return to Earth on the Sleigh, while Carol flies away for her next adventure.
== Cast ==
* Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Princess Carol/Captain Marvel
* Jude Law as Yon-Rogg
* Aaron Eckhart as Lt. Steve "Comet" Danvers
* Bill Skarsgård as Lt. Brad "Blitzen" Hansen.
* Gal Gadot as Lt. Wendy "Cupid" Lewis
* Alexandra Daddario as Lt. Ali "Dancer" Blake and Lt. Mavis "Prancer" Blake
* Kate McKinnon as Lt. Lily "Vixen" Martin
* Shemar Moore as Lt. Henry "Donder" Finch
* Harrison Gilbertson as Lt. John "Dasher" Harris
* Cole Hauser as Gen. Michael "Spike" Winston
* Joan Collins as Marie Danvers
* Nick Nolte as Joseph Danvers
* William Mapother as LtGen. James "Eagle" Samson
* Park Seo-joon as Prince Yan of Aladna
* Gary Lewis as Skrull Emperor Dro'ge
* Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury
* Iman Vellani as Kamela Khan/Ms. Marvel
* Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie
== Quotes ==
:Carol Danvers: [finding Steve on a bench, seeing him for the first time in nearly 40 years] So the Comet lands from the skies. Talk about catching a falling star.
:[Steve turns around, sees her, then gets up and walks towards her.]
:Lt. Steve "Comet" Danvers: You know, I think the whole universe caught that star the moment you were born. Captain Marvel, huh?
:Carol Danvers: Steve...
:Lt. Steve "Comet" Danvers: You've been really busy out there, Carol. That's all we're gonna say about it, okay?
:Carol Danvers: How long have you known?
:Lt. Steve "Comet" Danvers: More than three years, now. I'll explain how later. And I have to say, I'm really proud of you.
:Carol Danvers: [smiles] Thank you. [they embrace] It's good to see you, Steve.
:Lt. Steve "Comet" Danvers: Welcome home, kiddo.
:Lt. Brad "Blitzen" Hansen: [to Comet] Anyone who follows you is just gonna run out of fuel. Or, better yet, get caught in your crossfire.
:[Carol and Steve watch Braveheart together; Wallace has just given his pre-Battle of Stirling speech]
:Carol Danvers: I probably should've shown this to the Kree.
:Lt. Steve "Comet" Danvers: This isn't a very accurate representation of William Wallace's campaign.
:Carol Danvers: Yeah, but they don't know that.
:Lt. Steve "Comet" Danvers: I couldn't stand being the golden boy in our family, Carol. I didn't like that Dad was trying to discourage you just because, a: you fell all the time, and b: you're a woman. He was a sexist, machoist scumbag. We were supposed to teach you to get back up every time you fell, and to learn to choose your own path. If there's one thing that made me proud, it's that you did keep getting back up on your own. You and I, we both tried to prove ourselves better than him in the Air Force. You flew just like he did. But when we were told you perished in that crash, I blamed him for starting the path that led to that. It tore me apart. I felt that despite everything I'd done for you, I failed you as a brother. I got so angry, I guess I began to believe I could still be better than him, by being the opposite of him. And even though I've seen the woman you've become, and I'm proud of that, I still feel like I failed you.
:Carol Danvers: You did the best you could for me, Steve. But neither you nor Mom nor Dad did this to me. I chose this path, just by taking a shortcut in a race with Maria, without really knowing it. Some days, I tell myself that it should have been her, as much as I enjoy flying. But before she died, she assured me she never wanted to be Captain Marvel. I was always the one who enjoyed the rush of takeoff, while she preferred the relief of touching down. Besides, if it was anyone else who put me in the cage of Kree servitude, it was Yon-Rogg and Yon-Rogg alone. You understand?
:Lt. Steve "Comet" Danvers: I know. When your friends Talos and Soren told me what happened, I felt more rage than I did after the crash itself. I was torn apart again. I don't even know what was worse; thinking you were dead and gone, or not having been able to do something about what you've actually been through. I've just realized... all I've known since then is vengeance. I can't rest until I find this guy, and make him suffer for what he did to you. I convinced the Pentagon to reactivate Pegasus on that rage. I convinced them to build the Sleigh. And now that it's done, and we're set to go on mission, there's no going back.
:Carol Danvers: Steve, even if you do kill him and regret it afterwards, that will be nothing compared to how much I've done that I'm not proud of. Even things I did after I started getting my memories back. Last year, you and everyone else I care about almost paid the price for my mistakes, and Monica sacrificed herself for them.
:Lt. Steve "Comet" Danvers: Carol, I heard about this Dar-Benn girl. None of that was your fault. You offered them forgiveness, freedom and redemption when you took out the Supreme Intelligence. This was the answer they chose to give. So don't do that to yourself, please. Yes, you could have come home, and I would have understood, even if that would have taken time. I don't know when you got your memories back, but you've been blaming yourself for things that were never your fault. This, this right here, this is why I want to see him suffer. You used to be a kind, smart, confident, beautiful, funny, free-spirited woman, and he's taken much of that from you and replaced it with false guilt. He took your dignity, your freedom, and I think the only reason you managed to get it all back to begin with is just sheer dumb luck.
:Carol Danvers: Not really. I made another friend who really helped me get everything back.
:Lt. Steve "Comet" Danvers: Really? Who was that friend?
:Carol Danvers: A SHIELD agent. He went on to become SHIELD's last director, and brought the Avengers together to begin with.
:Lt. Steve "Comet" Danvers: Fury?
:Carol Danvers: So the way I see if, if those things hadn't happened to me, there'd be nothing of the universe left now.
:Lt. Steve "Comet" Danvers: Maybe. You're an amazing woman, Carol. I can see that Captain Marvel is a symbol of hope and freedom to the whole universe, and that's what's most important.
:Lt. Steve "Comet" Danvers: [finally facing Yon-Rogg, with nearly 40 years of venomous fury] Hello, Yonnie. My name is Steve Danvers. You kidnapped and brainwashed my sister. Prepare to die.
== Trivia ==
*Eckhart's role here is similar to his role in The Dark Knight, in the sense that Steve Danvers and Harvey Dent are both motivated by revenge on behalf of someone very close to them.
*Eckhart replaces Colin Ford, who played a younger Steve Danvers in Captain Marvel.
*Nolte likewise replaces Kenneth Mitchell, who played a younger Joseph Danvers in Captain Marvel, and died in 2024.
*Skarsgård previously voiced Kro in Eternals.
Category:Disney+ Originals
Category:Marvel Cinematic Universe
Category:Christmas Specials
Category:Television specials