Captain Marvel Theory: Jude Law is Playing TWO Comic Characters

Jude Law's character in Captain Marvel could be a loose amalgamation of both Mar-Vell and Yon-Rogg. Marketing for Captain Marvel has taken a strange approach. It's true that the film is one of the most hotly-anticipated of the year; it's a Marvel movie, expected to be a necessary prologue for Avengers: Endgame, so how could it be otherwise? And yet, Marvel's trailers and TV spots have acted as though they think the average moviegoer knows just who Captain Marvel is, and who her supporting characters are.

Symptomatic of this is Marvel's strange reluctance to admit just what character Jude Law is even playing in the film. Debate is raging in fan communities over whether or not he's the Kree hero Mar-Vell, or the villainous Yon-Rogg; Marvel seem rather entertained at this, doing everything they can to avoid settling the dispute. And yet, it's worth asking why the average moviegoer should care what Law's "Starforce Commander" is named. Mar-Vell may be beloved by comic book readers, but he's a completely unknown quantity to the typical ticket buyer for Captain Marvel. Yon-Rogg, meanwhile, is something of a deep cut in comic book lore; a Mar-Vell villain who was killed off decades ago in the comics and only recently (and briefly) resurrected. It's as though Marvel believe Carol Danvers, and her supporting characters, are already firmly established in the public consciousness. They're not.

Evidence is now building that Jude Law is indeed playing Yon-Rogg in Captain Marvel - but that the MCU version of the villain has been carefully reconstructed. It's possible one of the reasons for this confusion is that, when designing the big-screen incarnation of Yon-Rogg, Marvel Studios has drawn upon both characters. And that, in turn, raises the possibility that this upcoming superhero blockbuster is a lot more timely than Marvel has implied in its marketing so far.

This Page: Everything We Know About Jude Law's Captain Marvel Character
Page 2: Jude Law's Character Could Incorporate Elements Of Mar-Vell AND Yon-Rogg

What We Know About Jude Law's Captain Marvel Character

Although Jude Law is a big name in Hollywood and he's getting top billing as one of the stars of Captain Marvel, to date precious little is known about his character. He's been described as the leader of an elite Kree unit known as the Starforce, a crack team who are on the front lines of the war between the Kree and Skrull Empires. The Starforce Commander appears to be active in the field, and seems to have a strong bond with the members of his team; that's particularly the case with Vers, a.k.a. Carol Danvers, a.k.a. Captain Marvel.

When Law was originally cast for Captain Marvel, the trades reported that he was playing the Kree superhero Mar-Vell - the man who, in the comics, inspired Carol Danvers to become a superhero in the first place. It made sense; Mar-Vell is closely tied to Carol's superhero origin, and she even took up her codename in his honor. And yet, for all this seemed reasonable, Marvel seemed curiously reluctant to confirm it. When one Disney website named Law's character as Mar-Vell, it was swiftly edited. Naturally, Marvel's reticence led many to believe Law had been cast for another role entirely.

The most popular theory has been that Law is really a Kree character named Yon-Rogg, who also has ties to Carol Danvers' superhero origin story. Unlike Mar-Vell, Yon-Rogg is a villain, and he was resurrected as part of Kelly Sue DeConnick's Captain Marvel run to plague the titular hero; significantly, he manipulated her memories, and ultimately gave her amnesia. When the first Captain Marvel trailer suggested the titular hero was amnesiac, then, it seemed to increase the odds Law is playing this particular part.

As we get nearer to the film's theatrical release, merchandise is beginning to flood the market; and both Funko figures and Hasbro's Marvel Legends figures have called him "Yon-Rogg." The Marvel Legends box even features a brief teaser describing his role: "Leader of the Starforce team, Yon-Rogg is a hero among the Kree and a key asset in the Supreme Intelligence's war against the Skrulls."

Who Are Mar-Vell and Yon-Rogg?

Captain Marvel Jude Law Mar-Vell Yon-Rogg

It's vitally important whether Jude Law is Mar-Vell or Yon-Rogg; it defines whether he's a hero or a villain. In the comics, Mar-Vell is a character created by Stan Lee and Gene Colan back in 1967, a Kree warrior who was sent to Earth to monitor humanity, and who even betrayed his own people in defense of the human race. He was popularized by Jim Starlin, and in a strange twist is best known for an iconic and unforgettable comic book death. Where most superheroes die in spectacular fashion, "The Death of Captain Marvel" graphic novel saw the Kree hero die after losing his battle against an aggressive form of cancer. It's generally viewed as one of the greatest comic book stories of all time, a blend of real-world pain with fantastical, cosmic themes and concepts. In the comics, Mar-Vell was the first hero to call himself Captain Marvel, with Carol Danvers eventually taking up the identity in his honor.

In contrast, Yon-Rogg was Mar-Vell's greatest foe in his early days (Starlin substituted Yon-Rogg for Thanos himself, a far more powerful nemesis). Yon-Rogg was leader of the Kree Expeditionary Force team who headed to Earth, and was part of a sinister conspiracy to overthrow the Supreme Intelligence and return the Kree to their old warlike ways. He hated humanity with a bitter passion, and desired to subjugate the Earth under the Kree Empire. The escalating feud between Mar-Vell and Yon-Rogg was, in the comics, what led Carol Danvers to become a superhero in the first place; Yon-Rogg attempted to use a Kree device known as the Psyche-Magnetron, and Carol - head of security at a NASA installation nearby - was too close when the device exploded. Yon-Rogg was believed killed, but was recently revealed to still be alive, his psyche bonded with Carol's.

These are two very different characters; but is it possible Marvel has blended the two to create the person Jude Law is playing?

Page 2 of 2: How Jude Law Can Incorporate Elements of Both Characters

Captain Marvel Jude Law Yon-Rogg Points At Carol Danvers

How Jude Law Can Be Both Mar-Vell & Yon-Rogg

The Marvel Legends description suggests that Marvel has transformed Law's character by blending Yon-Rogg with some aspects of Mar-Vell himself. Like the comic book version of Yon-Rogg, he's a Kree leader; in this case, though, he commands the Kree's elite Starforce unit. Again, like the Yon-Rogg of the comics, he appears to be extremely manipulative; as mentioned, Kelly Sue DeConnick had one plot in which Yon-Rogg's bond with Carol Danvers left her amnesiac. Given the trailers have also confirmed Captain Marvel has lost her memory, and believes herself to be a Kree agent, it seems reasonable to assume he's done something similar in the film.

But there also seem to be clear differences between Captain Marvel's Yon-Rogg and the comics, which suggest Marvel has simplified him by incorporating a few elements from Mar-Vell. Like Mar-Vell, this character has been described as a Kree hero, trusted and respected, and working on behalf of the Supreme Intelligence. So far, nothing suggests that Yon-Rogg has an agenda that's at all divorced from his own commanders', far less that he could be committing treason by conspiring to undermine them. What's more, the mentor-student relationship he's built with Carol Danvers appears to be classic Mar-Vell, a close bond born of facing enemy fire side-by-side. Although it's not been explicitly stated, there's even a possibility that Yon-Rogg and Captain Marvel could be lovers in the film - and in the comics, Carol Danvers was originally Mar-Vell's love interest.

What This Means For Carol Danvers

This merging may seem to simplify Yon-Rogg's character, but it gives his role in Captain Marvel a whole new degree of complexity. He can be both Carol Danvers' creator and her abuser, her mentor and her manipulator. He'll presumably be introduced as an ally, a field commander who leads Starforce in battle against the Skrulls and may even be in a relationship with the hero. This transforms Yon-Rogg into a powerful, predatory force, and sets up a heartbreaking betrayal for Captain Marvel. As the #MeToo movement has highlighted, all too often the greatest abusers are people who seem otherwise honorable, men who are in a position of authority and trust and yet use that power against women. One line in the trailers is a classic abuser, as Yon-Rogg tells Carol she isn't as powerful as she thinks she is - an attempt to disempower the woman, and allow the abuser to remain in the position of authority.

Of course, this has a massive impact on Carol Danvers' portrayal in the MCU. Captain Marvel's origin becomes a tale of abuse, with the titular hero ultimately recognizing - and overcoming - her abusers. There's a sense in which the hero almost becomes a personification of the #MeToo movement, a celebration of female empowerment in the face of a world - indeed, in the MCU a universe - filled with such abuse. No doubt that's just the kind of character Brie Larson would be thrilled to play, and Marvel would be making a very bold decision indeed by focusing in on Captain Marvel as one of their front-line heroes when the dust has settled from Avengers: Endgame.

There is actually a strong comic book precedent for this kind of story involving Carol Danvers; in the comics, Carol grew up a victim of an abusive father, and her mother only stayed with the family in order to support her children. In one (very wrong-headed) Avengers plot, Carol was manipulated by a cosmic force into becoming its lover. The Avengers, shockingly, celebrated this as though it was a stable relationship, and allowed Carol to depart into the depths of space with a sinister being. When Carol eventually returned to Earth, she initially wanted nothing to do with the Avengers, and finally called them out on their actions.

If this theory is correct, then by blending Mar-Vell and Yon-Rogg, Marvel Studios has created a villain for our time; a strong, powerful man who takes advantage of a vulnerable woman, manipulating her so she does his will. In overcoming Yon-Rogg, Captain Marvel becomes a hero for our time as well, a champion of female empowerment who is on the front line of the fight against abuse.