MCU: All 11 Marvel Phase 3 movies ranked from worst to best
10. Captain Marvel
Expectations were high for Captain Marvel ever since it was announced. Not only it was the first female-led project in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it also introduced the Skrulls. The alien race serves as the antagonist for many iconic comic books, so their first big-screen adaptation certainly got people excited. Additionally, the movie was also supposed to expand on the cosmic side of the MCU and give us an explanation as to how Nick Fury lost one of his eyes. Overall, Captain Marvel had everything necessary to make for an amazing and unforgettable experience. Unfortunately, while it was an okay movie, it didn’t turn out to be as great as many hoped.
The film didn’t spend much time in space and when it did, it depicted unimaginative environments that couldn’t compete with those featured in other projects like Guardians of the Galaxy. Besides, it wasn’t hard to figure out Captain Marvel’s mentor was an antagonist from the get-go, which is a shame considering it was a crucial part of its story. And talking about bad guys, another huge letdown was discovering the Skrulls weren’t evil at all.
The shapeshifters were somewhat wasted, as they didn’t add any sense of paranoia to the film. Instead, it appears Marvel wanted to play the long game and use them as antagonists in Secret Invasion, a series set to release 4 years after Captain Marvel. However, the question has to be asked: How much are some of the MCU’s projects harmed in favor of world-building? And is it really worth it? Unfortunately, for Captain Marvel, the answer is: no. While the Skrulls had the potential to be memorable villains, the film’s true antagonist, Yon-Rogg, wasn’t one at all.
However, there are positives to gather from the film. Brie Larson’s chemistry with Samuel L. Jackson was great, and it was nice to get some backstory as to how The Avengers initiative came to be. Besides, Captain Marvel’s powers were brilliantly adapted for the big screen in the movie’s third act. Not only that, but Maria Rambeau was also a strong supporting character that added a lot of emotional depth to Carol Danvers’ journey. So while Captain Marvel didn’t soar as high as it could have, it still managed to land with style.