Captain Marvel is finally returning to the MCU in The Marvels, and the film desperately needs to address an issue that has plagued Carol Danvers since the beginning.
Although Captain Marvel has been around for a long time, the superhero hasn’t gotten a lot of screen time, with her most notable appearance outside of the first Captain Marvel film coming at the end of Avengers: Endgame. As a result, the MCU has created a fundamental problem with Captain Marvel’s character that must be addressed in The Marvels.
Captain Marvel is one of the most powerful superheroes in the MCU, with superhuman strength, flight, and the capacity to fire immensely strong energy blasts.
Carol Danvers’ abilities were already astounding in Captain Marvel, but in Avengers: Endgame, Captain Marvel could knock down one of Thanos’ ships without breaking a sweat.
Captain Marvel is a fun character, and having a super-powered female superhero is vital, but Carol Danvers’ abilities have created a big problem in the MCU’s narrative.
Captain Marvel’s abilities remain undefined, undermining the drama of her story.
CM main issue is that her abilities are unknown, which The Marvels desperately need to rectify. Captain Marvel has been portrayed in the MCU as nearly unbeatable, with the superhero never straining to outmatch her opponents.
The depth of Captain Marvel’s MCU powers has yet to be explored, which poses a dilemma for the storyline.
There is a concept in fiction called a “power ceiling.” A power ceiling is essentially the greatest degree of strength or ability that a character can retain. It is significant because, in the absence of a power ceiling, the audience has no idea what a hero can do, robbing the plot of the drama.
It’s tough to discern when Captain Marvel is in danger without a clear power limit. So yes, the MCU hasn’t put Captain Marvel to the test.
It implies that when Captain Marvel is confronted with a formidable antagonist, the viewer is unconcerned since they haven’t established what she can and cannot achieve. It’s hard to have suspense or drama in a novel without clearly spelling out Captain Marvel’s powers and how far they can go.
One of Captain Marvel’s MCU issues is that she has never struggled, and there is no tension unless the audience is concerned about a character they care about.
The most egregious example of Captain Marvel’s lack of a power cap destroying a story occurs in Avengers: Endgame. Captain Marvel has to be written out of the film for any stakes, with the pretext that she is defending other planets. When she finally emerges near the end, all the turmoil fades away. Captain Marvel defeats a large ship, swarms of adversaries, and even confronts Thanos without ever putting herself in jeopardy. Stakes vanish when Captain Marvel appears, which Marvel needs to rectify before presenting any more solo adventures.
Marvel Must Clarify Captain Marvel’s Power Limit
The Marvels have inherited Captain Marvel’s predicament, which must be resolved. Marvel must clearly explain Captain Marvel’s boundaries early in the film, establishing a consistent power cap that can be comprehended throughout the rest of the film.
By doing so, the viewers can compare the villains’ power levels to Captain Marvel’s power ceiling, allowing them to deduce how much danger she is in. To address this issue, the Marvels may have a simple scenario in which Carol demonstrates how much damage she can take or how powerful her energy blasts can be. But, whatever Marvel does, it must be done.
An unknown power cap would not only deprive Captain Marvel’s story of drama and tension but also harm the other characters in The Marvels. The Marvels will have Ms. Marvel, Monica Rambeau, and Captain Marvel as a team.
Although all three of these heroes have special abilities, Kamala and Monica’s so far pale in contrast to Captain Marvels. The Marvels must show why Carol Danvers requires the assistance of these two heroes, and a power ceiling could establish that Captain Marvel isn’t powerful enough to tackle the threat on her alone. Captain Marvel’s power issue must be resolved in some way by The Marvels.