Captain Marvel has finally hit theaters introducing fans to the latest MCU hero. Set in the 90s, before The Avengers Initiative was a thing, the movie follows the origin of Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel as she uncovers her mysterious past and discovers her true potential as a hero.
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As with any MCU film, Captain Marvel is packed with tons of fun Easter eggs to the overall universe. There are also plenty of small jokes, references and fun facts that will no doubt reward fans on multiple viewings. So if you weren’t eagle-eyed enough to catch everything, here are some of the best Captain Marvel moments you might have missed.
Warning: spoilers ahead!
10. Intergalactic Directions
Captain Marvel is the first MCU film since the Guardians of the Galaxy films to truly embrace the intergalactic aspects of the universe. Obviously, this film has close ties with the previous Guardians films with Kree villains Ronan and Korath appearing here.
The film also borrows a small device used in the first two James Gunn films. Whenever a new planet is introduced in the film, the same text and identifying coordinates are displayed onscreen as seen in the Guardians films. It could be that this device will be featured in all MCU cosmic movies going forward.
9. Soh-Larr And Torfa
The first mission we see Carol and Starforce embark on is to rescue a Starforce member, Soh-Larr on the Kree border planet of Torfa. While a small part of the film, the two names bare meaning in the Marvel comics.
Soh-Larr was indeed a member of the Kree army who participated in the Kree-Skrull war we see brought to life in this movie. The planet of Torfa has an even more interesting history. As is revealed in the film, it is a refugee planet which is later discovered to have vast Vibranium mines. It could be this is where Wakanda’s Vibranium originated from.
8. Secret Invasion
Perhaps the biggest surprise in the film is its handling of the popular Kree-Skrull war storyline. These two races of aliens have long been enemies and the Skrull are usually presented as villains. The reversal in this film is a fun and unexpected take on the comic book material.
As the Supreme Intelligence fills Carol’s head with lies about their enemies, they insist the Skrull are terrorists looking to infiltrate and take over planet after planet. This propaganda sounds like the exact storyline of the Secret Invasion storyline in which the Skrull attempt to take over Earth.
7. Blockbuster
Carol makes a memorable return to Earth by crashing through the roof of a local Blockbuster. It’s a fun moment that full cements the film’s 90s setting as the video rental service is virtually extinct in our present world.
The moment also gives the film the opportunity to shout-out to some classic movies. There is, of course, the nod to air force movie The Right Stuff. Carol also blasts a standee for True Lies, perhaps a nod to the double-life aspect of this film. Some of the other titles that are featured include The Hudsucker Proxy, Hook and another Schwarzenegger classic, Junior.
6. Fury’s ID
Part of the fun of Captain Marvel is exploring Nick Fury as a younger, less cynical agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. We also get to know a lot more about the superspy who would eventually assemble The Avengers.
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When showing his S.H.I.E.L.D. identification, we get to see some fun little facts about the man of mystery. For starters, the “J” in Nicholas J. Fury stands for Joseph, which is comic book accurate. Even better, we find out that he was born on July 4th,, 1950. Given Fury’s patriotic pursuits, it seems like the perfect birthday for the man.
Goose
Much has been said about the cat that steals the show in Captain Marvel. Goose, the adorable feline, who has quite of few secrets of its own, is adorable and funny every time it pops up on screen.
A cat in a Captain Marvel movie does have some comic book history. Carol did in fact own a cat named Chewie who turned out to be a dangerous alien species called a Flerken. The name Goose seems to be a reference to the Top Gun character of the same name as a nod to Carol’s life as a pilot. Luckily things end better for this Goose.
Familiar Costume
For much of the movie, Carol is sporting a green cosmic outfit. While this version of her costume does reference Mar-Vell’s similar look, fans were eager to see Carol don the iconic blue and red duds.
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After rediscovering her true identity, Carol and Monica Rambeau update her look. One of the several variations we see is a red and yellow option. Though it could be a random choice, the colors do closely resemble the costume of the original Captain Marvel, aka Shazam. With his own movie coming out next month, this could be a fun nod to the confusion with the shared title.
3. Yon-Rogg
Before the release of the film, Jude Law’s character was kept under wraps. All that was known about his was that he would be the Kree leader of Starforce and mentor-type to Carol. Yon-Rogg is eventually revealed to be the true villain of the story who has manipulated Carol for years.
While the twist likely surprised a lot of viewers, avid comic book readers may have seen it coming. In the comics, Yon-Rogg has been a long-standing enemy of Captain Marvel going back to the character’s first iteration. That might explain Marvel’s secrecy over the character’s true identity.
2. The Godfather Shout-Out
Only in the MCU could we get a climax to a film in which the all-powerful Tesseract, an object powered by one of the Infinity Stones, is safely kept inside a Happy Days lunchbox.
If there is one thing these movies know how to do, it’s combining superhero adventure with some fun and very specific pop culture references. And the moment gives way for another fun reference as Carol tells Fury, “Take the Tesseract, leave the lunch box”, in nod to the famous line from The Godfather. Even with the fate of the universe on the line, the heroes still have time to reference their favorite movies.
1. A Future Captain?
While some of the MCU films have tried to cram in unnecessary romances, Captain Marvel wisely makes the central relationship one of friendship. Maria and Monica Rambeau are the most important people in Carol’s life, and it’s especially touching how much young Monica looks up to Carol.
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At the end of the film, Fury tells Monica if she wants to help Carol, she’ll need power like hers. Of course, comics fans will know that Monica does indeed get those powers and becomes Captain Marvel herself. As she watches Carol fly off at the end, we could be seeing the birth of a future superhero.