Inside the Captain Marvel Film: The Comics, the Symbols, the Feminism...and Easter Eggs Too - Paperback

by Valerie Estelle Frankel (Author)

In the comics, seven distinct characters were called Captain Marvel, while Carol Danvers began as Mar-Vell's rather helpless assistant, relaunched herself as Ms. Marvel with superpowers and a forty-year Avengers career, and finally achieved captaincy. The film gleefully nods to the past characters (including Shazam ) and storylines. It builds on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, from the earliest days of S.H.I.E.L.D. to Guardians of the Galaxy. Meanwhile, subtle moments shatter glass ceilings in a way Wonder Woman with her skimpy uniform, all-male team, and conventional romance does not. Captain Marvel's awesome powerhouse moments, like trouncing all the villains to "Just a Girl," made the audiences cheer. More subtly, she's embarking on the classic heroine's journey as she defies the patriarchy and redefines herself. It's a groundbreaking, genre-defining work of fourth wave feminism that refuses to compromise.