Captain Marvel and Captain America Share An MCU Backstory Connection

Captain Marvel and Captain America share a very specific connection in regards to their backstory. As revealed by the Captain Marvel trailer, not only did both serve in the U.S. Military, but it seems Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) had a difficult time during her basic training, just like Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) did 50 years before her.

As fans saw in Captain America: The First Avenger, Steve Rogers was an extremely patriotic resident of Brooklyn who joined the Army so he could fight for his country in World War II. Unfortunately, Steve was scrawny and sickly so he was rejected until Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci), discovered Rogers as a potential candidate for the Super Soldier Serum because of his good heart and never-give-up fighting spirit.

With Erskine's sponsorship, Rogers was accepted into the Army and underwent basic training at Camp Lehigh in Wheaton, New Jersey. Rogers' experience in basic training was hell for the young patriot. He was always last in marches and he had an immense amount of trouble climbing a rope ladder, which made him a joke to his fellow recruits. Of course, thanks to the Super Soldier Serum, Rogers became the perfect physical specimen as Captain America, but the memories of his trials at boot camp always remain with him.

In Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers crashes on Earth and she apparently has no memory of the life she led before she became a part of the elite Kree strike team called Starforce. With the help of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Carol looks to go on a journey of self-discovery about the past she left behind on Earth. This includes her prior career as a Colonel in the United States Air Force, where her partner and wingman was Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch).

The trailer makes it look like Danvers re-lives memories of being a fighter pilot, and prior to that, her basic training to become an airman. And, like Steve Rogers five decades before, it seems Carol was not a perfect soldier from the get-go. She also had difficulty with her training, unable to climb a rope ladder and crashing to the ground. Her landing and curling up in the fetal position directly mirrors Steve when he fell during his training. Of course, like Steve, Carol always gets up and eventually gains superpowers, becoming much more than a mere human being. But they both had a tough start to their heroic lives.

For all the parallels, the big link between the two characters may be more tragic. Since Captain Marvel is set in the 1990s, Avengers 4 will mark Carol Danvers' debut in the present day MCU but it may also be the final appearance of Captain America. Chris Evans will reportedly depart the MCU after the Avengers assemble to take on Thanos (Josh Brolin) once more. The symmetry between the two superheroes seems to intentionally evoke the idea that Carol Danvers will likely take Steve Rogers' place as one of the central heroes of the MCU. After all, they are both superpowered American soldiers who have led military teams into battle, and their costumes bear patriotic colors.

However, Carol Danvers will be a very different character from the straight-laced and stalwart Steve Rogers. Brie Larson was drawn to the role because Carol is "flawed", "impulsive", and "at war with herself", which are fascinating traits for a hero to possess. So even though Captain Marvel's personality doesn't mirror Captain America's, and her immense power levels far surpass his formidable physical skills, it's still fitting symmetry that the two heroes come from a similar experience - they both found basic training to be hell.