The Marvels Needs To Fix One Major Captain Marvel Mistake

Captain Marvel is finally returning to the MCU in The Marvels, and the film really needs to fix a problem that has existed with Carol Danvers since the very beginning. Although Captain Marvel has been around for a while, the superhero hasn't gotten a whole lot of screen time, with her biggest appearance outside the first Captain Marvel movie being at the very end of Avengers: Endgame. Because of this, the MCU has created a major problem with Captain Marvel's character that needs to be remedied in The Marvels.

Captain Marvel is one of the most powerful superheroes in the MCU, with the character having super strength, the power of flight, and the ability to shoot incredibly powerful energy blasts. While Carol Danvers' powers were already impressive in Captain Marvel, she got a significant boost in Avengers: Endgame, with Captain Marvel being able to take down one of Thanos' ships without breaking a sweat. Captain Marvel is a fun character, and having an ultra-powerful female superhero is important, but Carol Danvers' powers have also created a massive problem in the narrative of the MCU.

Captain Marvel's Powers Are Still Too Undefined, Undermining The Drama Of Her Story

Captain Marvel's biggest problem is that her powers are undefined, something that The Marvels really needs to fix. The MCU has presented Captain Marvel as almost undefeatable, with the character never struggling to outmatch her opponents. The extent of Captain Marvel's MCU powers hasn't yet been explored, and this causes a problem when it comes to storytelling. In fiction, there is a concept known as a "power ceiling." Essentially, a power ceiling is the maximum level of strength or ability that a character can maintain. This is important because, without a power ceiling, the audience doesn't know what a hero is able to do, robbing the story of drama.

Without a well-defined power ceiling, it's impossible to know when Captain Marvel is in danger. So far, the MCU hasn't tested the limits of Captain Marvel. This means, when faced with a powerful foe, the audience isn't worried about Captain Marvel because they haven't defined what she can and can't do. Without clearly laying out Captain Marvel's powers and how far they can go, it's impossible to have tension or drama in a story. One of Captain Marvel's MCU problems is that it's hard to worry about her since she has never struggled, and there is no tension unless an audience worries about a character they care about.

The biggest example of Captain Marvel's lack of a power ceiling ruining a story is in Avengers: Endgame. Captain Marvel had to be written out of the movie in order for there to be any stakes, with the excuse being that she's saving other planets. Once she does show up near the end, though, all the drama disappears. Captain Marvel takes down a massive ship, hordes of enemies, and even faces off with Thanos without ever being in danger. When Captain Marvel is around, stakes disappear, which is something Marvel has to fix before telling any more solo stories.

Marvel Needs To Clarify Captain Marvel's Power Ceiling

The Marvels is inheriting this Captain Marvel problem, and it needs to fix it. Marvel needs to clearly establish the limits of Captain Marvel early in the film, setting up a consistent power ceiling that can be understood throughout the rest of the film. By doing this, the audience can clearly compare the power level of The Marvels' villains to Captain Marvel's power ceiling, allowing them to intuit how much danger she is in. The Marvels could have a simple scene where Carol shows how much damage she can take or how powerful her energy blasts can be, remedying this problem. But however Marvel does it, it has to be done.

Not only would an unclear power ceiling rob Captain Marvel's story of drama and tension again, but it would also hurt the other characters in The Marvels. Ms. Marvel, Monica Rambeau, and Captain Marvel will all be on a team in The Marvels. Although all three of these heroes have powers of their own, Kamala and Monica's powers pale in comparison to Captain Marvel's so far. The Marvels needs to establish a reason why Carol Danvers needs these two heroes for help, and a power ceiling could establish that Captain Marvel isn't powerful enough to handle the threat on her own. Somehow, The Marvels has to fix Captain Marvel's power problem.

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