According to Brie Larson, Captain Marvel's power-levels may be even greater than we believed - she's actually suggested the hero can "move planets!"
Back in 2016, Marvel visionary Kevin Feige suggested that Captain Marvel would be the most powerful hero in the MCU to date. "Her powers are off the charts," he noted, "and when she's introduced, she will be by far the strongest character we've ever had." Given the MCU includes powerhouses like Thor and the Hulk, that statement caused quite a stir. Strangely enough, since then there's been very little discussion of Carol Danvers's powers in the MCU.
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Until today, that is. In an interview with E! Online, Brie Larson gave a sense of the character's powers. "She's so strong," Larson observed, "She can move planets! So, to me, it's like how far can I go with this strength?"
It may be that Larson is simply engaging in hyperbole, exaggerating Carol's power-levels in order to make a point. At the same time, though, her comment sounds far too matter-of-fact; it really does sound as though she believes Captain Marvel is strong enough to move an entire planet! That's a power level beyond anything we've ever seen in the comics. There, Carol can absorb enough solar radiation to transform into Binary, one of the most powerful energy manipulators in the Marvel Universe. But even when she's in Binary mode, Carol can't move an entire planet.
Marvel may need to tread with care when it comes to Captain Marvel. As KamalaKorp noted on Twitter, "They are going "pre Crisis Superman" level power here." As exciting as that may be, there are major risks to that kind of power-set. When a hero becomes too powerful, you essentially lose the element of risk; it becomes difficult to believe that any but the most dangerous threats can ever harm them. That was why DC Comics had to create Kryptonite, in order to weaken the Man of Steel and make him vulnerable. Another attendant risk, though, is that of so-called "power creep." The heroes become increasingly powerful, so in order to threaten them, the next menace must be even more dangerous. It's easy to slip into a spiral in which characters become ever-more powerful, and ultimately unrelatable. That risk is even greater for Captain Marvel, given Marvel Studios is positioning her to be the future face of the MCU.
Brie Larson's comment is certainly a surprising one, and it supports Feige's assertion that Captain Marvel will be "the strongest character we've ever had." Hopefully, though, the comment's actually an exaggeration, and Carol isn't quite that strong.
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Source: E! Online