Captain Marvel's Starforce Can Be Green Lantern Done Right

In the wake of the first trailer for Captain Marvel, many comics fans have noticed a similarity to between Marvel's Starforce and DC's Green Lantern Corps. The 2011 Green Lantern movie starring Ryan Reynolds had been intended to test the waters for developing a shared universe between several DC Comics film franchises (in much the same way that 2008's Iron Man lay the groundwork for the Marvel Cinematic Universe) before becoming a critical and commercial flop. Ironically, Captain Marvel now seems to be adapting a similar concept as a foundation for Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

While the characters of Carol Danvers and Hal Jordan (the first person from Earth to join the Green Lantern Corps) have a surprising number of similarities regarding their backgrounds and superheroic origins, there is a marked difference between the Starforce of the comic books and the Starforce of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. What we have seen of the MCU Starforce so far greatly resembles the Green Lantern Corps from the comics.

Captain Marvel has no need to imitate Green Lantern, given Marvel Comics' dominance at the box office and the rich history of Carol Danvers' character and her connection to the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe. However, the two companies have a history of tackling similar concepts in their movies, such as DC's upcoming Aquaman movie, which has been compared to Marvel's Black Panther, with both featuring a battle for the crown of a secret and highly advanced civilization. Captain Marvel's writers have explicitly said that they're trying to avoid Green Lantern comparisons with Carol Danvers' origins, but a few similarities still seem to be shining through.

This Page: Carol Danvers and Hal Jordan Have Similar Comic Origins
Page 2: Can Starforce Do The Green Lantern Concept Justice?

Carol Danvers and Hal Jordan Have Similar Comic Origins

Carol Danvers Captain Marvel Hal Jordan Green Lantern Pilots

When comic fans discuss team-ups between various characters from different universes they would like to see someday, Hal Jordan and Carol Danvers usually top the list. The characters have a lot in common, even ignoring their shared history as ex-Air Force pilots who became superheroes after a close encounter with an alien. Indeed, it has been commented by some that Carol and Hal might fall in love at first sight, assuming they didn't kill each other first.

Carol Danvers was a USAF Officer and Security Chief of a restricted military base where she worked alongside Dr. Walter Lawson. Unbeknownst to her, Lawson was really Mar-Vell - a captain in the army of an alien race called The Kree, who had been sent to Earth as a spy to determine if the world might become a threat to The Kree Empire. Mar-Vell would later attempt to shield Carol from the explosion of a piece of Kree technology, resulting in his DNA becoming imprinted upon her and granting her the enhanced physicality and energy absorption powers of a Kree warrior. Carol would go on to fight crime under a number of aliases, such as Ms. Marvel, Binary, and Warbird, but would eventually take on the name of Captain Marvel to honor Mar-Vell's sacrifice.

Hal Jordan was introduced as a hot-shot test pilot who was known for being completely fearless and totally honest. These qualities summoned Hal to the side of a dying Abin Sur - an alien and member of an intergalactic police force known as The Green Lantern Corps. Abin Sur explained that his ring had sought out a worthy replacement and that Hal had been the closest being worthy to take up his mantle as a Green Lantern and wield the power ring that gives its bearer the ability to do nearly anything their imagination and willpower could envision. Hal would go on to serve The Corps. with distinction, becoming known across the universe as the greatest of Green Lanterns.

Despite having completely different power-sets as superheroes, the resemblance between Hal and Carol's origins stories is apparent. Yet the similarities between their characters only start with how they gained powers from alien sources and had a shared background as American fighter pilots. Both characters have similar personalities and are known for being bold to the point of recklessness, strong-willed and fiercely independent. Both characters also have battled alcoholism, with Hal having served jail time for Driving While Intoxicated in the story Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn II and Carol being confronted on her drinking problem in the pages of The Avengers comic book.

Carol and Hal also had surprisingly similar upbringings. They're both military brats, with Carol's dad having served in the US Navy and Hal's dad having been a fighter pilot in the USAF. They're both part of a family with three children, though Hal was the middle child of three brothers whereas Carol was the oldest of three children with two younger brothers. Their families were both highly dysfunctional, with Carol's father being physically and emotionally abusive and Hal's family falling apart in the wake of his father's death in a plane crash.

Despite her independent nature, Carol thrived in a military environment and became a top-notch pilot, a highly-decorated intelligence agent, and the head of security for NASA by the time she was 30 and retired from the Air Force with the rank of Colonel. By contrast, Hal was said to have lost more planes than any pilot since the Vietnam War due to his recklessness as a USAF test pilot and was dishonorably discharged after punching his commanding officer. Only the fact that the President of Ferris Air had been a friend of his father won Hal a second chance working as a pilot for his company.

Page 2 of 2: Can Starforce Do The Green Lantern Concept Justice?

How Starforce And Green Lantern Corps Are Different In The Comics

Curiously, while Carol Danvers has been a member of many organizations in her career as a soldier and a superhero, she has never been a part of the comic book version of Starforce. The team was formed by The Kree's former leader, The Great Intelligence, to act as a personal guard as it enacted a plan to regain its former position as supreme leader of The Kree Empire. Starforce's ranks were made up of Kree who had acquired superpowers through various means. This included Ronan the Accuser (who MCU fans will remember as the chief villain of Guardians of the Galaxy), the mad scientist Dr. Minn-Erva (Doctor Minerva), the master warrior Captain Att-Lass (Captain Atlas) and the psychic tracker Korath the Pursuer.

This is a marked contrast from The Green Lantern Corps, which was established by The Guardians of the Universe to act as an intergalactic peacekeeping force. Though different writers have varied to what degree The Green Lantern Corps resembles a police force or a military body, the core ideal of the organization has remained the same. The Green Lanterns are meant to be loyal only to the ideals of peace and order, as defined by The Guardians of the Universe. As such, an individual Green Lantern's personal politics and moralities are not to be considered in the pursuit of their duties.

How Captain Marvel's Starforce Is More Like The Green Lantern Corps

Based on what little is known of the MCU version of Starforce, they appear to be far more like The Green Lantern Corps than the Starforce of the Marvel Comics Universe. The most obvious difference is one of costuming. The comic book Starforce did not have a standardized military uniform, as the Green Lantern Corps did. As the first trailer for Captain Marvel revealed, all members of the MCU Starforce wear a standardized green bodysuit, loosely modeled on the Kree military uniform worn by Mar-Vell in the comics.

A bigger difference is the exact scope of Starforce in both realities. The comic book version of Starforce was created to act as a private army and could be compared to the Children of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. The MCU version of Starforce appears to be a more traditional militaristic body, concerned with peacekeeping and serving The Kree Empire rather than following the dictates of a single figure. This makes the MCU Starforce far more similar to The Green Lantern Corps in its mission than the Starforce from the comics.

Can Starforce Do The Green Lantern Concept Justice?

Green Lantern Corps from 2011 Green Lantern Movie

With all of this in mind, the question must be considered - could Marvel's Starforce beat DC's Green Lantern Corps. to the punch? More importantly, could they possibly improve on the base concept in the MCU?

Certainly it would not be difficult to improve upon the 2011 Green Lantern movie in the minds of most movie-goers. Yet one of the few things comics fans agreed the movie captured well was its portrayal of the organization and the various alien members of The Corps who oversaw Hal Jordan's training. Many of them still grieve that we never had a chance to see Mark Strong as a truly villainous Sinestro.

Of course, the Marvel Comics Universe already has several organizations and characters that are much more like the Green Lanterns than Starforce. Chief among these are The Nova Corps (which was already introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy) and the hero Quasar, who was rumored to be scheduled for an appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy 3. Yet none of these characters would offer so strong an introduction into the mythology of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Captain Marvel and it's far easier to alter the scope of Starforce than explain why The Nova Corps was so easily destroyed by Thanos and his followers if they had super-powered soldiers on their payroll.

Despite their well-established base, it would still be foolish for the minds behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe to alter the story of Starforce just for the sake of trying to compete with the upcoming Green Lantern Corps movie. Although it is not the most popular of DC Comics' superhero properties, Green Lantern still has a presence in the public consciousness and the concept as presented in the earlier film will still be remembered by many. And while comics fans may be excited about Geoff Johns' writing the script for the upcoming Green Lantern Corps film, it's a non-issue for the average filmgoer. Better then for Captain Marvel to stand on its own merits than trying to establish its dominance, particularly when the movie is already one of the most highly anticipated films of 2019.