This has been something that's been weighing on my mind for quite some time now. Originally, I wasn't going to post anything about it since so many people have already said something about it on YouTube, blogs, etc. Even so, I feel like I should just get this off my chest. I was going to post this a few days later, but I felt I should get this out as soon as possible.
In 2009, Marvel was bought by Disney. At the time, I didn't think much of it. It never really occurred to me that their acquisition of Marvel would affect the comics in any sort of way, but well, let's just say hindsight is a very interesting thing.
As the the holder of the Star Wars license, how much sway do they have over other companies when it comes to them handling Star Wars stuff? Enough to tell EA to take micro transactions out of Star Wars: Battlefront II due to the very bad press it was giving to the brand. Sure, they had a new Star Wars movie releasing around the time Battlefront II dropped but I guess screwing up Star Wars is Disney's job. And what a bang up job Disney is doing of absolutely wrecking Star Wars. Have you seen The Last Jedi or Solo? I know the word cringe gets used far too much these days, but that is the only word I can think of to accurately describe those films and I still don't think that sums them up right. Like so many other forms of pop culture entertainment, the Star Wars films are being ruined by feminism and social justice warrior propaganda, things that were never in the movies until Disney got their agenda hungry hands on them.
I don't know if it is still used, but long ago, Marvel was known as "The House of Ideas." Over the past few years or so, sales for Marvel comics have been very, very low. I never bothered to look into why but I'd heard a few things here and there. I hadn't come back to comics until 2016 when DC launched Rebirth, their new direction for the DC after The New 52 proved to be a short term gain. Rebirth brought much success for DC while Marvel continued (and still does continue) to struggle. There are a number of reasons Marvel comic sales are on the decline (such as event burnout) and after looking around, I think the push for feminism and SJW are two major reasons. I once read on a forum post that Marvel is looking like "A Troubled House of Ideas."
People read books, watch movies and play video games to escape reality. Sure, there is usually some form of realism in those mediums but most people hate having feminism and SJW politics shoved in their face and like Disney, the Marvel comics has become infamous for it. I'm not saying Disney told Marvel to appeal the feminist/SJW crowd, but whether they did or didn't, that is exactly what Marvel is doing and they are failing so hard for it.
And now, let's address the elephant I in the room.
Hooo boy, do I have some things to say about her.
Captain Marvel is a character that has been around since 1968. Or perhaps, I should say, Carol Danvers has been around since 1968. Despite being around for many years and having her own comic, she isn't a character that is well liked. In fact, no one really gives a crap about the Carol Danvers version of Captain Marvel. Since 2012, Captain Marvel has gone through nine reboots. Her books are filled with SJW and Mary Sue vomit. Because she failed eight times in a row, I guess Marvel figures that the ninth time is the charm. So yeah, Marvel is trying to force Captain Marvel on readers and it feels like that same "You WILL love Captain Marvel!" mentality along with all the excess baggage that makes the character and her comics so despised are bleeding into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Captain Marvel.
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| Captain Marvel relaunch number eight. |
Now, you can't talk about the Captain Marvel movie without bringing up the actress that portrays her, Brie Larson. I had no idea who she was until I'd heard of this movie. A little digging revealed that she was in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, a movie I love very much. I would hear more about Brie Larson as she promoted her film leading up to it's release. When all was said and done, I wish I had remained oblivious to Brie Larson. Unfortunately while promoting her film, she also promoted her political views, something that would become a focal point of her touring. I don't even need to post or link that speech where she said A Wrinkle in Time wasn't made for a 40 year old white dude. That disaster can be easily looked up on YouTube.
I like to keep the art and the artist separate. To judge or boycott a product based on some crazy talk someone spews would be a huge disservice to what could be a very good product. Even separating Larson's foot-in-mouth comments from her film, I gotta say, Captain Marvel is not a good movie. Is it the worst thing ever? No but it does leave a horrible taste in my mouth for a myriad of reasons.
Larson has caught a lot of heat for the stupid things she's said and because no one told her to stop running her mouth, the character of Captain Marvel in the film is hated a great deal. I'm gonna do something crazy and defend Brie. Hating the character Brie plays based on what she's said during interviews and film promotion is just dumb. It isn't all her fault Captain Marvel is portrayed the way she is. Yes, some of the blame does fall on here, but not every bit of it does. After all, you can't make a movie with a single person. There's the script writers as well as the director, people that are always major players in film. I don't pretend to know everything that does on with the writing and directing of a film, but I get I get these sense that neither the writer(s) or the directer knew how they wanted to portray Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers. Yes, she she'll crack a joke on occasion but for the most part, she comes across as a dry, dull, lifeless character. Brie has displayed more emotion during interviews and touring than she has in this entire movie. In the Avengers Endgame 2 trailer, she's got that same, stoic look on her face that she has throughout most of Captain Marvel as if that is the only face she's got. Carol has no character development and those flashback sequences that are shoved in at the strangest of times don't count. She starts the movie as a blank piece of paper, and ends the movie as a blank piece of paper. Not good for what is supposed to a strong female character.
One of my biggest issues with this movie is when Captain Marvel unlocks her full power. Once her power inhibitor is removed, she has no problems adjusting to flying and everything is just so effortless for her. The movie couldn't show her struggling to a little bit? Even Peter Parker in the first Spider-Man movie in 2002 slammed into a wall when he tried to web-sling for the first time! Steve Rogers wasn't immediately placed on the battlefield after getting the super soldier formula injected into him. He proved his worth on a mission, which showed his superiors that his talents were being wasted by having him parade around on stage. We've seen numerous other heroes struggle in the MCU with their powers or be humbled by being stripped of their powers. Carol? Nothing is a problem for this girl. She isn't even fazed by the fact that she has amnesia. She comes across as such an unrealistic character and Marvel has been a company that prides itself on characters that feel relatable.
The MCU may have spent years in development but that doesn't mean last minute changes cannot be implemented and Captain Marvel feels so, so shoehorned into this universe. Yes, the movie was announced years ago but some sloppy retconning was done like making Carol's call sign "Avenger," which prompts Nick Fury to change the Protector Initiative the the Avengers Initiative, which is a slap in the face to Captain America, a movie that was called "The First Avenger." This feels like a forced attempt to play up her importance in the MCU. Don't even get me started on how Fury lost his eye to an alien cat. That is a pitiful joke.
Captain Marvel is supposed to be the new face for the MCU going forward. Her first movie did not paint the character in a good light and many fans are already not looking forward to her being in Endgame. She could improve as time goes on, but as it stands, she has not earned the right to be the new face of this universe. I'm sure you've heard much of what I've said echoed by countless others all throughout this editorial, but I feel it bears repeating. We've had ten years to see the cast of the MCU develop. Now this Mary Sue comes in and we're supposed to like her because she's super powerful and Marvel wants to shove her down our throats like they did have her failing comic series? No. She doesn't get a free pass to take center stage just because she's said to be the most powerful character in the MCU. The time was taken to work on the rest of the cast of the MCU, so the same is to be expected of Captain Marvel.
We already saw what SJW and feminism did to the Star Wars films and it looks like the MCU could be next. That crap is also responsible for screwing up Marvel comics. We've seen slumps in comics before but SJW nonsense is a hard monkey to get off your back. I hear it has also begun infesting DC's comics, which is a shame because they've been doing so well since Rebirth, but it is looking like their sales could join Marvel's in the dumpster. Like I said, Captain Marvel could grow like the rest of the members of the MCU, but considering that she's pretty much being forced on us like her comic book counterpart and Marvel Studios is giving off the vibe that they are getting woke. There's plenty of reasons to be concerned. If Captain Marvel is in, I, and I suspect many others, will be out.
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