Warning: Do not read if you have not yet seen "Avengers: Infinity War."
- The "Avengers: Infinity War" after-credits sequence teases Captain Marvel, who will be played by Brie Larson in a solo movie in March before appearing in the "Infinity War" sequel next May.
- After being exposed to alien technology, the character, whose real name is Carol Danvers, becomes Ms. Marvel in the comic books.
- She has since become Captain Marvel.
- The solo movie takes place in the 1990s and also stars Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.
By the end of "Avengers: Infinity War," things don't look great for Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Thanos achieved his goal, and half of humanity is now gone, with many of the Avengers vanishing into dust.
But Nick Fury has an ace up his sleeve. Right before vanishing, Fury places a distress call to an unidentified character in the film's after-credits sequence. The audience sees a symbol on a pager that falls to the ground as Fury disappears.
That symbol belongs to Captain Marvel, the next big character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, who's set to make her solo film debut in March, played by the Oscar-winning actress Brie Larson.
If the after-credits sequence is any indication, she'll play an integral role in defeating Thanos in the "Infinity War" sequel next May.
The Captain Marvel film will take place in the 1990s, before the events in "Infinity War." But we know that Samuel L. Jackson's Fury is a main character — his first starring role in an MCU film since "Avengers: Age of Ultron" in 2015 — and that others, such as Agent Coulson and the "Guardians of the Galaxy" villain Ronan, will also make appearances.
We assume that "Captain Marvel" will set up the character as a force to be reckoned with and detail why Fury has kept her a secret until now. Judging by his scene in "Infinity War," he sees her as a last resort.
But who exactly is Captain Marvel?
The character, whose real name is Carol Danvers, was introduced in "Marvel Super-Heroes" Issue 13 in 1968. Danvers is one of many to have taken the title of Captain Marvel.
After being exposed to alien Kree technology, she becomes Ms. Marvel. It isn't until 2012 that she takes the title of Captain Marvel in the comic books.
The Kree are the alien race that Ronan belongs to. Jude Law's character in the "Captain Marvel" movie, Mar-Vell, is also Kree.
In the comics, Mar-Vell is the first Captain Marvel and a Kree military officer. He'll most likely act as a sort of mentor to Danvers in the movie.
Danvers has superhuman strength, speed, and flight, and she can absorb energy to project it back at her enemies — something that will probably help in a fight against Thanos.
The move to give Danvers a solo comic book as Ms. Marvel in the 1970s was regarded as progressive. Captain Marvel will also be the first female character in the MCU to get her own movie, after "Wonder Woman" last year paved the way for critically and commercially successful superhero films driven by women.
Danvers has been a big part of Marvel Comics in recent years, playing a key role in 2016's series "Civil War II." The storyline centers on a new, young superhuman with the ability to see the future. That pits Captain Marvel and Iron Man against each other about whether it is morally right to target a supervillain before they have committed a crime and potentially change the future in the process.
Next month, she will star in a new "Avengers" comic book that reunites Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man and includes MCU favorites such as Black Panther and Doctor Strange.
Needless to say, Captain Marvel is having a moment and could reach new heights in next year's "Infinity War" sequel.
"Captain Marvel" is scheduled to premiere on March 8, while the untitled fourth "Avengers" movie comes to theaters on May 3, 2019.
