Top 10 Things We Want to See in Captain Marvel

With nine films under his belt so far, Robert Downey Jr. has established himself as the ringmaster of the MCU circus. We already know that Captain Marvel is set to take place during the 1990’s, around the time that billionaire playboy Tony Stark is still a young man full of hubris and vanity, and still to receive his moment of clarity during his capture by the Ten Rings. It’s both possible and exciting to imagine a pre-Iron Man Tony having anything from a brief mention to a straight up supporting role in Carol’s solo outing, and would serve as a precursor to a “Civil War II” adaptation, which features Danvers and Stark prominently.

Yes, we are talking about the furry alien sidekick, just not the one who rides shotgun to Han Solo. In the comics, Chewie was the name of Carol Danvers’ notably mean pet cat. Loyal only to Danvers, Chewie later turned out to be a member of the extraterrestrial Flerken race, complete with tentacles, sharp teeth, and the ability to lay a hundred eggs at a time. Chewie even had a less-than-friendly encounter with Guardians of the Galaxy member Rocket, who correctly guessed Chewie’s extraterrestrial origin. An alien kitty might be a little out there, but Marvel has already done wild things with a tree and a raccoon.

The Batcave, The Fortress Of Solitude, it’s a superhero staple to have a secret hideout, and for a time Captain Marvel had one of her own; housed inside the crown of the Statue Of Liberty itself as a gift from a grateful New York City. There’s something automatically cool about the idea of Brie Larson’s Danvers chilling out inside Lady Liberty’s head, taking in the view, and it would make for a great scene in the movie.

Kamala Khan is one of the more progressive superhero characters to follow in the Captain Marvel lineage. This quirky teenager of Pakistani-American descent has the ability to shape-shift and takes over Danvers’ previous mantle of Ms. Marvel. Khan debuted as a supporting character in Captain Marvel’s series in 2013 before going on to headline her own series the following year, becoming Marvel’s first Muslim character to do so. With the MCU continuing to include characters of all races and ethnic backgrounds in their movies, it would be fair to assume that Kamala Khan is on the cards for future movies or even a cameo in Captain Marvel.

There’s no doubt that we can expect a lot of action and fight scenes from the new movie, and though we’ve seen plenty of set photos featuring conflict on her home planet, a staple of Captain Marvel’s adventures is that they often take place beyond the atmosphere of planet Earth; sometimes without the safety of a spacecraft! Seeing Captain Marvel flying through the cosmos like Iron Man or Star-Lord and fighting in the vacuum of space would be an extremely cool action scene.

As important to Carol Danvers’ story as a radioactive spider to Peter Parker or a gamma bomb to Bruce Banner, the Psyche-Magnitron Device is a matter-altering device of Kree invention that can bestow superpowers on humanoids. In the comics, the explosion that its destruction causes is what alters Danvers' DNA, giving her the superpowers of her protector Mar-Vell. It would make sense for the machine to make the leap from page to screen, and there’s evidence already to suggest so: Yon-Rogg, a Kree commander, and rival of Mar-Vell who uses the device is set to appear in the film played by Ben Mendelsohn.

This may seem like a strange pairing to those not familiar with the comics, but former A.I.M agent turned Spider-Woman Jessica Drew is one of Carol Danvers' closest superhero gal pals, and the duo has paired up on many adventures together. Between saving the world the pair has rapport during their downtime in their civilian identities, making for most of the comedic moments of their stories. Unfortunately, the rights to Spider-Woman lie with Sony, making this wishful casting a lot trickier.

In the comics, Danvers pre-superheroic lifestyle involved a career serving in the U.S military as an accomplished air force pilot, all before she meets Mar-Vell and acquires her powers. Set photos have already shown that the movie is diving into Danvers’ military career, but seeing her in Top Gun-esque flying sequences with fighter planes may just be the best way to open the movie, introducing Carol Danvers to audiences as a skillful and confident woman before she even acquires powers.

The stone cold eyepatch-wearing Director of S.H.I.E.L.D Nicholas J Fury has a hard time trusting people, a lesson he seems to have learned following his trademark injury. Could it have been Captain Marvel’s fault? It would make a lot of sense. With Samuel L. Jackson set to play a younger Fury who encounters Danvers in the 90s, Fury losing his eye because of her, directly or otherwise, would also explain why he never contacted her to join the Avengers in fighting Loki OR Ultron, and why he only turns to her out of desperation when Thanos' snap begins to take effect at Infinity War’s conclusion.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

Abigail Brand: Agent of S.W.O.R.D

Captain Marvel has the distinction of being the first Marvel female superhero to front her own solo movie, and her characterization is an important one for the studio to get right. From her time in the Air Force, to her position of Head of security at NASA, to her work as a magazine editor through to her superhero status, Carol Danvers has always been a symbol of strength, and has been heralded in recent years for challenging sexism, misogyny and the conventions of women's role in comic books. For the movie to work at its best it is vital that her no-nonsense attitude and strength is carried over from the page in a manner that doesn’t come across as pandering. Marvel has proven itself capable many times, and they’ve more than earned our faith.