The time has finally come! Captain Marvel has joined the MCU! As I mentioned in my article about key comic issues featuring Carol Danvers, I have been beyond excited for this movie. Would the movie live up to my expectations? Would I hate it? Could I hate it? Well, fortunately, I was able to see an advanced screening of the film because we hosted a giveaway with a Captain Marvel inspired recipe we created on my other site Geeks Who Eat and I now have my answers. The short answer is that I absolutely loved the movie. However, you aren’t here for that, you want more and I will deliver (spoiler free of course). So get ready because we’re going to dive right in!
“Set in the 1990s, Marvel Studios’ “Captain Marvel” is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that follows the journey of Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes. While a galactic war between two alien races reaches Earth, Danvers finds herself and a small cadre of allies at the center of the maelstrom.”
The Movie
First things first, I need to talk about the movie itself. Tonally, the movie is fairly different than what you might expect from a Marvel movie given the most recent character specific entries to the MCU (Thor: Ragnarok, Ant-Man and Wasp, Black Panther, etc). Captain Marvel relies less on humor than some of the other entries. I welcome this as I am not typically a huge fan of overly humorous comic book movies. That isn’t to say the movie is without humor, it is just not as over the top.
The film stays true to the tone of the comics which I really appreciate, even if it veers a fair amount from the comic storylines. Surprisingly, I didn’t mind this. I feel like a lot of that was done to reduce confusion on the origin of the character and the complexities that come with the Kree and Skrulls.
The casting in Captain Marvel is really well done. I’d love to go into further detail about specific characters but I really don’t want to give anything away. I will say that any doubts I had about Brie Larson (I really wanted Katie Sackoff to play Carol Danvers) have been thrown to the wayside. She absolutely personifies Carol Danvers and I loved her portrayal.
Connections to Other MCU Movies
The film takes place in the 90s which is about 10 years prior to the formation of the Avengers. Captain Marvel does a great job of fitting into the existing cinematic universe. There are several scenes, characters, and other pieces of the MCU that appear during the duration of the film that connect it to the other movies. It is a ton of fun seeing how these things play out and how they will be handled in Avengers: End Game. Questions will definitely be answered while others will be left without answers. Captain Marvel definitely feels like it has been in the big picture the whole time despite only now entering the MCU. 
Nostalgia
If you grew up in the 90s, this film is going to hit you like a nostalgia freight train! Everything from the music, the clothing, and heck, even a Blockbuster, screams the 90s. That being said, what is great about the use of the 90s in the film is it doesn’t feel distracting. It isn’t like they are just throwing 90s references around for you to notice. They are worked well into the film so that they feel like they belong there. The soundtrack is especially awesome and certain songs are so well placed that you won’t think of them in the same context again. 
Overall, Captain Marvel is a fantastic addition to the MCU. I will actually be seeing it again and can’t wait to see what I missed the first time. I think this movie would definitely be enhanced by multiple viewings as there is a fair amount to take in between Carol’s story and the connection to the rest of the MCU. Have you seen the Captain Marvel yet? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below!
