After months, sorry years of waiting, Marvel Studios finally delivered the first trailer for Captain Marvel. On September 18, the world finally got a look (outside of those EW photos a few weeks ago) at Carol Danvers, The Skrull, and a de-aged Samuel L. Jackson.
Some of the staff of Pop Break got together to share their thoughts on the first trailer.
Josh Sarnecky
Captain Marvel may take place two decades before the events of the latest Avengers film, but this trailer should give hope to the scores of fans still emotionally scarred by Infinity War. Assuming, of course, you remembered to stay after the credits and saw the major tease in the film’s final scene. Not only does the trailer for Captain Marvel do a brilliant job of establishing its ’90s setting (RIP Blockbuster) and proving that Disney has mastered de-aging technology (unless they actually cloned Samuel Jackson), this first look promises that Marvel’s first female-led film will be an amazing ride.
As much as I enjoyed the trailer, though, I do have some reservations. While I am far from an expert on the character’s backstory and do not know how much the film will deviate from the comics, parts of the trailer felt a bit reminiscent of Green Lantern/Hal Jordan’s origin story. Obviously, that movie was less than stellar. Likewise, the villainous Skrulls looked uncomfortably similar to the bad guy in 2009’s utterly dreadful Dragonball Evolution. I also would have liked to have heard more from Captain Marvel herself, Brie Larson, in the trailer; she certainly looks the part and has the acting chops needed to nail the role, but I would have liked to hear more dialogue from her.
Outside of those few nitpicks, I think that this trailer is exactly what this movie needs. Following the commercial and critical success of Wonder Woman, it is past time that a film with a woman in the title role came to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And this trailer suggests that woman is going to absolutely kick butt and inspire fans everywhere. The effects look fantastic, the few bits of action we see look exhilarating, and the cast is impressive. Many people may not be familiar with this character, but this trailer will no doubt spark a new wave of interest in Captain Marvel and anticipation for her first movie.
George Heftler
I’m right on the verge of super hero movie fatigue. I hate to say it, but it’s true. Marvel has been fighting it tooth and nail with a real hot streak, but a guy can only watch so many similar movies before he’s done. DC’s Hindenberg-esque fall from grace hasn’t helped either. And Captain Marvel seems to be more of the same.
To clarify, I don’t think Captain Marvel looks bad. Brie Larson has a great track record. Sam Jackson doesn’t seem to be sleepwalking through his performance like he did in the recent Hitman’s Bodyguard. But this whole “space-person lands on earth and does fish-out-of-water stuff before fighting” isn’t just a trope in movies at-large, it’s already been done in the MCU with Thor. And inverted in Guardians. And done adjacently in Thor: Ragnarok, where he lands on not-earth and does fish-out-of-water stuff before fighting and also he’s funny now. And a hero getting led around by a government agent while trying to recover their past? Am I talking about Captain Marvel or Captain America: Winter Soldier?
Marvel knows that what they’ve done in the past works, and I understand them not wanting to screw up their first female-led superhero movie. I just wish I was actually surprised by anything I saw in the trailer instead of just Marvel playing it safe and combining parts of their previous work. So will I see this movie? Almost certainly, eventually. But this feels like something that I’d be OK waiting to see at home, instead of feeling the need to see it in theaters.
Rob Crowther IV
I don’t know what I’m more stoked about. Brie Larson taking on one of the more powerful heroine roles, or the return of Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) to the Marvel Cinematic Universe!
After the awesomeness that was Wonder Woman, the first Captain Marvel trailer lives up to the hype. I hate to automatically make that comparison, but the future is indeed female! The trailer in many ways is reminiscent of the Captain America movies where we are dealing with an earlier decade (in this case, the ’90s) and an earlier S.H.I.E.L.D. The younger Coulson and Nick Fury both look fantastic. And can we please talk about that Blockbuster Video shot and the Samuel L. Jackson narration? Brilliant!
Let’s be real. The MCU has been killing it especially when it comes to the long game. From the looks of this trailer, Captain Marvel has a story to tell that is going endear her to the audience immediately. I’m not only intrigued but willing to bet for some post Infinity War after credit scenes. Now shut up and take my money!
Bill Bodkin
Captain Marvel is not the best MCU trailer of all-time. It’s probably not even the best Marvel trailer of 2018. But, it’s one of the most effective trailers the MCU has created in quite some time.
Why?
Captain Marvel is the first MCU character is a very long time that, prior to their solo film, was not introduced in another MCU property. Outside of a symbol flash at the end of Infinity War, Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers did not get an introduction (or re-introduction) in a Captain America (a la Black Panther), or Avengers (Tom Holland’s Spider-man) films. It’s coming fresh out of the gate on its own, with no introduction to the fans of the MCU (outside of previous comic book knowledge).
This trailer not only effectively introduces Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, but it sets up just enough information about the film to hook us. It’s paced well and spikes in enough action and that literal Blockbuster moment to tantalize you Of course it hits all the Marvel tropes – vague alien bad guys, Samuel L. Jackson, flashbacks to a lost childhood, and a “this is what my powers could be” shot.
That sounds very cynical — and let’s face it the story is tired as hell, and the Krull look like Power Rangers villains — but it’s the notes this trailer had to hit in order to appease the masses.
However, the main hook here is Brie Larson. She is such a immense presence in this trailer, and she kills it at every single point in the trailer. You want to know about Carol Danvers, and the mystery behind her transformation into Captain Marvel. It makes you want to see more trailers, and plop down some cash to see this film.
