Captain Marvel is the name of many superheroes across multiple comics publishers. To make the matters much more confusing, there are two movies that features a Captain Marvel that is set to release in 2019, one from Marvel Studios which is titled Captain Marvel and one from Warner Bros. and DC Films, which is Shazam! Now, Jude Law has been cast in the MCU as Mar-Vell, a character created by Stan Lee and Gene Colan, who is better known as Marvel’s original Captain Marvel.
With another actor joining Captain Marvel, it is very clear the Marvel Studios is ready when it comes to a battle of the Captain Marvels. Jude Law is cast with Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, and Ben Mendelsohn as the antagonist. Let us dive into the character of Mar-Vell to see who Law may bring to life in MCU.
Captain Marvel(s)
First appearing in Marvel Comics’ Marvel Super-Heroes #12 in December 1967, Captain Marvel is the title which predates Marvel. From 1940 to 1953, Captain Marvel was a famous character that was published by Fawcett Comics, who had held the trademark for the name. In 1953, the trademark had lapsed after there was a copyright infringement suit from DC Comics. Making the most of the sticky situation, Marvel Comics had debuted their take on Captain Marvel and had trademarked the name quickly.
Soon after appearing in Marvel Super-Heroes, this character had been given his ongoing series starting with Captain Marvel #1 in May 1968. The series had established the title character as Mar-Vell, a member of the Kree alien race who had come to Earth as a spy. This series did not catch on, and saw Captain Marvel receive a new costume and more powers courtesy of Roy Thomas in October 1969.
A The successful use of Mar-Vell came in Kree/Skrull War arc in Avengers #89 to #97, which had run from June 1971 to March 1972. Captain Mar-Vell was sent to Earth to deem whether it is a threat to the Kree empire or not and adopted the name of a deceased scientist, Walter Lawson. Occasionally partaking in heroism, humans thought that he is pronouncing his name as “Captain Marvel”.
Kree/Skrull War
Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel movie will pull inspiration for the Kree/Skrull War, the most beloved comic stories. If you have watched instalments of the MCU, then you are accustomed to the Kree. They are a race of blue-skinned aliens who love war.
The Kree/Skrull War planted Mar-Vell in the middle and surrounded by Avengers and 2 powerful intergalactic alien races. This story kicks off with Mar-Vell having been captured by the Avengers, though he is not treated under the Alien Activities Commission. This leaves the humans fearing aliens, though the fear is revealed to be made by Skrulls who are on the planet and planting seeds of paranoia.
Ronan the Accuser wants to devolve Earth into a prehistoric state so that his race can use the planet as a battle station in war though the Avengers can stop him. After saving this planet, Mar-Vell, Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver are then kidnapped by the Skrulls in hopes that Mar-Vell will build a machine that is strong and can destroy his race. In a superheroic fashion, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes rescue the teammates and end this war. While we do not expect Captain Marvel to base off of the story, it will lend aspects of the war between the races and exclude the Avengers. This is because it is set in the 1990s.
Carol Danvers becomes Captain Marvel
Mar-Vell has a hand in Carol Danvers gaining powers that then led to her become a superhero. Absorbing Kree energy after a terrible explosion, Carol was injured, but it is revealed that she is a human and Kree hybrid. Carol is the kidnapped by alien Yon-Rogg a few months after befriending Mar-Vell; his enemies are responsible for the heroic transformation.
Mar-Vell battles Yon-Rogg to rescue Carol, where she is accidentally knocked into a Kree Psyche-Magnitron: a device that made the imagination come true. The accident then altered Carol’s genetics and gifted her with superpowers.
Carol Danvers then took the mantle of Captain Marvel and honored the mantle left by Mar-Vell after his death. Mar-Vell’s death was earlier than Carol’s adoption of moniker, though, in 1982, The Death of Captain Marvel had been published. Written by ’70s Marvel architect Jim Stalin, the novel saw Tony Stark, Reed Richards, Hank McCoy and other superheroes being questioned on not creating a cure for cancer. Cancer is the cause of Mar-Vell’s death, and it is a potent and emotional storyline that may be explored in the Captain Marvel movie. Maybe Mar-Vell will mentor Carol and meet his fate after she has learned the lessons that he can offer.
Carol left behind the title of Ms. Marvel in favor of Captain Marvel when Kelly Sue DeConnick and Dexter Soy helmed her ongoing series, becoming Marvel’s only female superhero title in 2012. It was a hit and propelled Carol Danvers into a whole lot of uncharted territory.
So, keep a keen eye for Jude Law as Mar-Vell and see if you can spot similar elements between his comics and the on-screen iterations!
