Well, we now have strong women in the superhero world, and to be honest it’s great to see but the fervor that’s been building is a great but also somewhat worthy of an eye roll. Gal Gadot has actually congratulated Brie Larson since, quite honestly, Captain Marvel has already been breaking box office records apparently, much as Wonder Woman did when it came out. There is a lot of positive fallout to be taken from these movies and it’s actually kind of an interesting idea to think that both women might be able to be seen in a movie together. But still there’s the lingering idea that the box office numbers are being either padded because of those that are eager to see anything but another male-centered superhero movie, or are willing to go and see something that’s not a white, male-centered superhero movie. You might wonder why I’d bother saying this, and it has nothing to do with misogyny or even a desire to discredit the film.
It’s because despite the need to ignore a lot of negative reviews, Captain Marvel is a big part of the Marvel universe, and in the comics it’s been seen that she’s been highly instrumental in a lot of different story lines. But it’s also because, much like Black Panther, the idea of praising this movie and raising it to such impressive box office sales seems more like an effort of those that are wanting change to push an agenda instead of admitting to actually liking the movie. The negative reviews are usually best to be ignored, but without at least taking into account that they exist and are being made in a rational and reasonable manner, one misses the point that the story might not have been quite as masterful as some might think. Closing your eyes to the truth of something and just having faith is great, but when it’s a movie that is being called a masterpiece without any constructive criticism or even differing opinions that people want to hear, it becomes little more than a need to go along with the popular opinion in order to avoid being singled out as the person that honestly wasn’t impressed.
That being said, Captain Marvel is a movie that was needed, but perhaps long before now. Much like Wonder Woman, this movie could have bolstered the MCU in a big way had it come before the current phase that the MCU is now in. Wonder Woman could have done the same for the DCEU before Man of Steel ever came out since the overwhelming response towards the movie was something that created the kind of buzz that finally dragged the DC universe back into relevance on the big screen. The only downside of all this is that had they been introduced any sooner it’s easy to see how they might have been glossed over as it might have been too soon. In other words it’s a Catch-22 that really favors the current moment in terms of when the movies should have come out.
Now it’s a question as to whether the two of the most powerful, not the ‘most powerful’ heroes should get together, or if the actresses should get together in a movie. Whether they came together as female superheroes in a crossover that could be quite epic or just as actresses in a movie that has nothing to do with superheroes it could be interesting. It could also be highly criticized in many ways since there are always bound to be people that claim that a feminist attitude in movies is bound to backfire at one point or another. In all honesty however such views tend to get in the way of the reality that these movies were kind of needed at the time they were released. Captain Marvel is a powerhouse that is needed, though whether she fixes Avengers: Endgame on her own, which might come with a lot of backlash, or if she serves as another needed plot point, is kind of irrelevant at the moment. Her brand of superhero has opened a lot of eyes just as Wonder Woman did and made it possible for many people to either join the crowd that considers themselves ‘woke’ when it comes to cheering for another female lead, or those that are little more discerning and agree that she was needed, but that she also needs to be integrated into the MCU instead of being lauded as the next face of the brand.
As to Gal Gadot and Brie Larsen getting together for a movie it does seem like it could be something fun depending on the movie and the overall plot. Both women have proven themselves increasingly versatile in their acting, and a movie starring both of them would likely be worth watching.
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