Captain Marvel (film)

**Captain Marvel** is a 2010 superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. It was directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck and stars Yvonne Strahovski, Jude Law, Lee Pace, Meagan Good, Ben Mendelsohn, Jamie Bell, Cobie Smulders, Angelina Jolie, Annette Bening, and Samuel L. Jackson. It was released on March 26, 2010.

## Plot

Nick Fury informs Tony Stark that he is not the only "superhero" in the world. Stark asks who else there is, and Fury reveals the existence of aliens, and how they led to the origins of "Captain Marvel". In 2002, S.H.I.E.L.D. investigates strange happenings around the world. Director Nick Fury is informed of a mysterious asteroid landing near a U.S. Air Force base. Fury, Deputy Director Maria Hill, and Agent Steve Danvers go to check it out. Arriving there, they meet Dr. Walter Lawson, who claims the asteroid was simply just that. However, Danvers discovers the asteroid has been broken apart. Danvers attempts to inform Fury of this, though Lawson appears, revealing he is actually a Skrull, a shapeshifting alien, named Kl'rt. Kl'rt knocks Danvers unconscious and finds his spaceship, which is able to cloak itself. Kl'rt leaves Earth with Danvers, another hidden body, and technology hidden in the base. Fury and Hill realize Lawson and Danvers have disappeared and find Carol Danvers, Steve's sister and a test pilot who was knocked out when the asteroid landed. The three attempt to find Steve but can find nothing, only the ground where the spaceship was on fire.

In 2007, a year before Iron Man, Danvers has become an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and is still searching for her brother, despite Fury's labelling of him deceased. After Danvers saves several civilians from an oncoming train, Fury promotes her to Level 5. Danvers discovers several new files in Level 5, including one of Lawson, who was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent assigned to investigate alien occurences, including the asteroid landing. She reluctantly calls Maria Rambeau, her old best friend and fellow test pilot, though they went their separate ways after the asteroid. Rambeau claims not to remember anything, despite Danvers trying to learn if Lawson ever actually arrived. Danvers asks Fury about Lawson, and he tells her that Lawson also disappeared with her brother. Danvers then goes to the old base and discovers the scorched ground is still on fire. However, when she tries to enter the circle of fire, a blast of energy sends her flying back. Danvers is left unconscious until a spaceship lands. Lawson exits the spaceship and finds Danvers, near-death. Lawson takes her on his ship and revives her using a blood transfusion. Danvers awakens and recognizes him. She asks him why he left and where her brother is. However, Lawson has no idea what she is talking about. Danvers wants to get off the ship, but Lawson reveals he has taken her to his home, Hala.

Danvers learns of the history of the Kree, Lawson's people. They are intergalactic alien police responsible for taking down the Kree, a race of shapeshifting aliens. Danvers asks Lawson to see if her brother ever landed on their planet. Lawson takes her to the Supreme Intelligance, an A.I. who rules the Kree. Danvers asks about her brother, and the Intelligance reveals that Steve is on Tarnax IV, the Skrulls' current home. Danvers asks Lawson to take her there, and he agrees, though they take Kree General Ronan the Accuser with them. On the ship, Danvers discovers she has gained abilities due to now being part-Kree. She has super-strength, enhanced speed and reflexes, and increased endurance. Danvers enjoys her newfound abilities as they arrive on Tarnax IV. The group stays together until they get to the Skrull capital, when they are forced to split up, though Lawson warns her not to trust anyone. Danvers makes it past the guards until she seemingly reunites with Lawson, though he attacks her. Danvers discovers that it is one of the Skrulls disguised as Lawson. Danvers defeats him and finds her brother, Steve, though he has no memory of her. Danvers pleads with him to remember his past, but the Skrulls find her and she is forced to escape, where she discovers her ability of flying.

Danvers reaches the ship and contacts Lawson and Ronan to get back. At the ship, all three cut themselves to ensure they are who they say they are. They leave the planet and go back to Hala, where Lawson reveals his story to Danvers. His true name is Mar-Vell and he was sent to Earth to protect it from the Skrull threat. However, when a Skrull, Kl'rt, finally did arrive, Mar-Vell was unable to stop him and Kl'rt kidnapped him, and disguised himself as Lawson. Kl'rt stole a piece of technology vital to their engineering of hyperspace travel. Kl'rt took him to Tarnax IV, where he attempted to brainwash Mar-Vell into working for them, but he escaped. Danvers also realizes that Kl'rt must have kidnapped Steve as well and succeeded in brainwashing him. Mar-Vell advises Danvers to return to Earth as there is no hope for saving her brother. However, Danvers wants to help them stop the Skrulls. The Supreme Intelligance is alerted that the Skrulls have completed their hyperspace travel. The Intelligance sends Ronan, Mar-Vell, and the army to Tarnax to stop them. Danvers also joins them. On Tarnax, the Kree ambush the Skrulls. However, Steve, now super-powered, kills Mar-Vell, devestating Danvers.

The Skrull Queen Veranke is revealed to want hyperspace travel to expand their empire, by invading other planets. Kl'rt wants to invade Veranke, though she knows their defense is too strong. Kl'rt remembers how defenseless Earth was and reveals it to Veranke, who sends herself, Kl'rt, and an army of Skrulls on a ship to go to Earth. Danvers, Ronan, and the surviving Kree go to Earth, despite being told by the Intelligance to return to Hala. On Earth, Fury is alerted of the incoming Skrulls. The Skrulls, and the Kree, land near Rambeau's house. Kl'rt attacks her, but Danvers manages to save her and gets her onto the Kree ship for safety. The Skrulls and Kree get into a large battle, until Fury, Hill, and S.H.I.E.L.D. arrive. Rambeau finds a Kree weapon on the ship and joins the fight as well. Ronan mysteriously leaves on the ship after being given orders by the Intelligance. He goes to Tarnax IV and, without their major defenses, is able to blow up the entire planet, including the civilians. Danvers is forced to kill Steve after he has Rambeau, while Kl'rt runs away after seeing Danvers' abilities, including now being able to project and fire energy. Veranke learns of Tarnax's destruction and evacuates the remaining Kree, now the only survivors and escapes.

Danvers is horrified of what Ronan has done, but the Intelligance claims that the civilian Skrulls were just as dangerous as the soldiers. Danvers says goodbye to Rambeau, Hill, and Fury, as she wants to help out the galaxy by replacing the Intelligance's ways of dealing with other species. Danvers gives Fury a way to contact her in case he needs to, and then leaves. On Hala, the Kree are informed of something entering their atmosphere, something more powerful than any of their weapons. Danvers arrives, now glowing with energy, and asks to see the Intelligance. In a post-credits scene, Stark asks Fury why he needs heroes, and Fury reveals that he has come up with the "Avengers Initiative".

## Cast

* Yvonne Strahovski as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel
* Jude Law as Walter Lawson/Mar-Vell
* Ben Mendelsohn as Kl'rt
* Lee Pace as Ronan the Accuser
* Jamie Bell as Steve Danvers
* Meagan Good as Maria Rambeau
* Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill
* Angelina Jolie as Veranke
* Annette Bening as Supreme Intelligance
* Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury

Robert Downey Jr. cameos as Tony Stark.

## Reception

### **Box office**

**Captain Marvel** grossed $217.6 million (44%) in the United States and Canada and $277.3 million (56%) in other territories for a total of $494.9 million. Worldwide, it is the two-hundred-and-seventh highest-grossing film and the tenth highest-grossing 2010 film. It achieved a worldwide opening weekend of $51.7 million.

### **Critical reception**

*Captain Marvel* received very positive reviews from critics, with praise for its screenplay, visual effects, score, and ensemble cast. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 87% approval rating with an average score of 8.1/10, based on 349 reviews.