The Marvels is an upcoming Marvel superhero feature that will be part of Phase Five of the MCU, helmed by Candyman director Nia DaCosta. The picture is both a sequel to the 2019 MCU film Captain Marvel and a continuation of the Disney+ TV miniseries Ms. Marvel.
The Marvels is set to bring together Brie Larson's Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel, Teyonah Parris' Monica Rambeau from the miniseries WandaVision, and Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury. After establishing her origin story in Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers' character arc will continue to be explored in the sequel, so here's some info on her powerful abilities and vulnerabilities.
What are Captain Marvel's powers?
While Captain America and Thor are very tough and popular, Captain Marvel is considered one of the most powerful superheroes in the Marvel Universe, and a strong symbol of female empowerment alongside Black Widow and Wanda Maximoff. Before becoming Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers was a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot. However, after being exposed to the energy of the Tesseract due to the explosion of a Light-Speed Engine aircraft belonging to a military race called Kree, Carol obtained cosmic powers including superhuman strength, energy projection, and flight.
Once Carol gained her new powers, she became a Kree-human hybrid by receiving a blood transfusion from Yon-Rogg (a Kree Empire commander and the leader of his army called Starforce). The transfusion erases Carol's memories, and Yon-Rogg uses her as a lethal weapon for Kree and Starforce (which follows Kree ideologies such as authoritative military power in the galaxy and propaganda tactics to gain followers). Due to her amnesia, Yon-Rogg and Starforce made Carol believe that she was a Kree named Vers who lost her memory due to attacks from the Skrulls (a race of reptilian humanoids who are an enemy of Kree).
As Vers, Carol lived on the planet Hala to help the Kree and Starforce fight the Skrulls, proving herself an expert in battlefield tactics, weaponry (including photon blasters and alien guns), hand-to-hand combat, and the use of ground-based vehicles and aircraft. When Carol realizes Yon-Rogg and the Starforce lied to her about her past, the actual cause of her memory loss, and the Skrulls, she is able to fight and defeat the team with her powerful fighting skills.
During a galactic battle against the Accusers (another Kree military force led by Ronan, the antagonist from Guardians of the Galaxy), Carol manages to destroy several fighter ships and their missiles, showing her physicality, speed, and flying abilities. Captain Marvel can also carry large spacecraft, as seen in Avengers: Endgame when she rescues and brings Iron Man and Nebula back to Earth.
Why doesn't Carol Danvers get older?
Carol Danvers was born sometime in the 1960s, so since the Captain Marvel feature primarily takes place in the 1990s, she is around her late 20s or early 30s during that timeline. During the explosion of the Light-Speed engine aircraft in 1989, Carol technically died, but the energy she absorbed from the Tesseract and the transfusion of Kree blood brought her back to life (despite losing her memory).
The combination of Kree DNA and the power of the Space Stone significantly slowed down Carol's physical aging, which is why she looks the same years later in Avengers: Endgame, where she would be in her late 50s. Captain Marvel will undoubtedly continue to appear young in The Marvels, maintaining her physical appearance as if she were still in her 20s or 30s. Her youthful physicality would only be affected if her powers are somehow weakened or taken away.
Does Captain Marvel have any weaknesses?
While Captain Marvel is arguably one of the strongest characters in the MCU alongside the likes of Thor in terms of physicality, her mind is vulnerable. The Kree blood transfusion saved her life, but it also gave her amnesia, taking away memories of the life she had as a fighter pilot. The uncertainty about her past also causes Carol to question her identity, making her uncertain at times about who she is and why she's fighting with the Kree against the Skrulls. Carol also has trouble sleeping due to dreams she has involving blurred glimpses of her past.
Yon-Rogg and the Starforce are some of Captain Marvel's biggest adversaries because they recognize her abilities and were able to use her amnesia to their advantage by manipulating and lying to her about her identity. They were also able to control Captain Marvel's cosmic powers by placing a photon inhibitor on her neck, preventing Carol from unleashing her full potential (until she uncovers the truth about herself and the Kree and takes off the implant).
In the comics, Captain Marvel has also fallen victim to brainwashing and mind manipulation, especially when Rogue from X-Men takes her powers and thoughts, causing Carol to have memory loss. There are also times when Captain Marvel absorbs too much energy, including when she used a lot of it to save the Earth's sun, leaving her powers depleted for several months. She is also unprotected from telepathic and mental powers, meaning others like Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch can have the power to control her mind. Carol also struggles with alcohol addiction due to the psychological trauma she endured as a child from her father.
Despite the mental and psychological challenges she's suffered through, Captain Marvel is a tremendous superhero who can take on almost anyone in battle. Spectators will be curious to see where Carol's journey is headed in The Marvels, along with her collaboration with other powerful female heroes, and her ongoing companionship with Nick Fury.
The Marvels is scheduled to be released in theaters on November 10, 2023.