Marvel's Captain Marvel is one of the company's most popular characters (and in-universe, one of the most powerful heroes), but a redesign would be most welcome after a rather unchanging uniform over a decade. The famous red, blue and yellow suit, while conforming to traditional superhero colors, is eye-catching but hasn't undergone a significant change in quite some time. But the future version of the superhero from Marvel's 2099 universe has a radically different suit that could actually lead to an entirely different character down the line - if Marvel plays their cards right.
In 1992, Marvel released their new Marvel 2099 imprint; the 90s was fraught with multiple new universes from both Marvel and DC, many of which imagined their heroes in the far future (DC's DC One Million line would later follow suit). Taking place a century from the then-present, the 2099 universe included future versions of Spider-Man, the Punisher, the Fantastic Four, Ghost Rider and more - though Spider-Man 2099 was by far the most popular character in the line and arguably the only one who continued to regularly appear in comics after the line's dissolution. But Marvel continues to use the line in unexpected ways, primarily in variant covers.
In 2019, Marvel released the Captain Marvel variant cover seen in the image below. Created by artist Terry Dodson, the image depicts the Captain Marvel of 2099 with a radically different design than Carol Danvers. This Captain Marvel has lost all the blue elements in her suit, trading the primary color for red. Black boots and a belt are accentuated by bright white-yellow shoulders and arms. Overall, the look is simpler and streamlined, echoing Monica Rambeau's Spectrum costume; this could very well be Rambeau's descendent in the 2099 universe.
Captain Marvel's Future Redesign Is What Marvel Needs Right Now
Marvel has used variant covers to debut characters in the past (or at least test the waters regarding new designs), and this Captain Marvel would be a welcome sight to their 2099 roster. The Spider-Man from 2099, Miguel O'Hara, has already appeared in multiple present-day Spider-Man comics (and will make an appearance in 2023's Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse). Perhaps the 2099 Captain Marvel could team up with the present Carol Danvers - and if she truly is the descendant of Monica, she would be one of many children of superheroes who inherited their predecessor's powers.
Captain Marvel is no stranger to traveling to the future; she was thrown into a future timeline in 2021 (albeit a dystopian future run by the son of Namor and the Enchantress which she sought to prevent). Traveling just a few more decades ahead would put her squarely into the 2099 universe. Future storylines could very well include this Captain Marvel from the future, with a very memorable design that could one day be as iconic as Carol Danvers' own.