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Original ShowsPopularTrailersGameplayAll VideosCaptain MarvelIs Captain Marvel Human? Explaining the Brie Larson Character's Super Powers, Origin and More
Is she human or something more?
By Jesse SchedeenUpdated: Mar 5, 2019 12:10 amPosted: Sep 18, 2018 3:34 pmWith the first trailer for next year's Captain Marvel dropping today, we finally have a better idea of what the next big MCU movie is about. However, the trailer raises as many questions as it answers, especially for fans who might not be familiar with the Carol Danvers of the comics. This new footage raises the question of whether Carol is actually human or an alien.With that in mind, we figured it was a good time to break down Carol's traditional origin story and powers and how the movie is changing the familiar source material. Is Carol human? Scroll down to find out, and watch the Captain Marvel trailer right here:
Captain Marvel: Human or Alien?
In short, yes, Carol Danvers is a human being who grew up on Earth. She clearly doesn't remember that in the trailer, but we'll touch on that dilemma in a bit. Carol was born an ordinary person with no superhuman powers. In the comics, it's only after a freak accident caused her body to briefly merge with that of Kree soldier Mar-Vell that she transformed into something more. Thanks to that accident, Carol's DNA is now a hybrid of human and Kree genetics. So while she's technically human, she's also become part alien. That's the source of her powers, and likely the reason why Ronan and the notoriously racist Kree Empire are willing to tolerate a lowly human serving as a member of Starforce.
Captain Marvel's Powers
In addition to being a talented pilot and experienced soldier, Carol's powers make her one of the strongest heroes in the Marvel Universe. She has almost Hulk-level superhuman strength, invulnerability and the power of flight.
82 Images From the First Captain Marvel Trailer
View 83 ImagesCarol also has the ability to absorb cosmic energy and other forms of energy and channel it back in the form of photonic blasts. Occasionally she evolves into an even more powerful form known as Binary and can generate her own massive energy supplies. The trailer features one scene that could indicate Carol will undergo a similar transformation in the film.
Carol's Origin Story
In the comics, Carol Danvers is portrayed as an ambitious young woman who leaves behind a troubled family background and enlists in the Air Force. Her driving mantra is "Higher, further, faster, more," reflecting her desire to fly ever higher and seek new horizons. While in the Air Force, she encounters a man named Walter Lawson, who turns out to be a human cover identity for Kree soldier Mar-Vell. After being caught in an explosion, Carol's DNA becomes fused with that of Marv-Vell, and she becomes a superhero named Ms. Marvel. She wouldn't claim the "Captain Marvel" mantle until years later, long after Mar-Vell had died of cancer.
The movie is clearly making some big changes to that formula. In the comics, Carol became an Avenger rather than venturing into space and joining the Kree military. However, the trailer makes it clear that the basic structure of her origin, from troubled childhood to Air Force pilot to superhero, remains intact.
The Amnesia Problem
The other big change with this movie involves the twist that Carol doesn't seem to remember her life on Earth. Presumably, the same accident that gives her her powers also wipes her memory and compels her to find a new home among the Kree. It's only after Carol returns to Earth (as "a renegade soldier," as Nick Fury describes her) that her memories of her Earthling past come flooding back.
Captain Marvel: Every Character Confirmed
View 12 ImagesWhile a new addition to the Captain Marvel mythos, it's not hard to see why Marvel Studios would add this element to Carol's origin. Even compared to most Marvel heroes, her upbringing was difficult. She dealt with an abusive father and an all-encompassing desire to escape her surroundings and find her destiny in the stars. Her amnesia may be as much a result of her psychological troubles as anything physical.While Carol didn't grapple with amnesia in the classic Ms. Marvel comics, she did originally have a case of split identity. She would periodically black out and transition from Carol Danvers to Ms. Marvel, retaining no memory of her superhero activities afterwards. The movie could be pulling from and expanding on that old dynamic.
It's also worth pointing out that Carol isn't entirely unfamiliar with the amnesia problem in the comics. The character was radically changed in 1981's Avengers Annual #10, as her powers and memories were stolen by Rogue (who was a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants rather than the X-Men at the time). That served as a sort of fresh start for Carol, who temporarily joined the X-Men and first transformed into Binary during a storyline called "The Brood Saga." The movie may be drawing some inspiration from these classic tales, even if we doubt Rogue is going to be showing up in the movie. Watch our primer on Carol Danvers above from a few years back. The piece includes a concise history of the character and her journey to becoming Captain Marvel (along with some fun speculation from before we knew how her journey to the big screen would pan out!). Jesse is a mild-mannered writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.
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By Jesse SchedeenUpdated: Mar 5, 2019 12:10 amPosted: Sep 18, 2018 3:34 pmWith the first trailer for next year's Captain Marvel dropping today, we finally have a better idea of what the next big MCU movie is about. However, the trailer raises as many questions as it answers, especially for fans who might not be familiar with the Carol Danvers of the comics. This new footage raises the question of whether Carol is actually human or an alien.With that in mind, we figured it was a good time to break down Carol's traditional origin story and powers and how the movie is changing the familiar source material. Is Carol human? Scroll down to find out, and watch the Captain Marvel trailer right here: 
View 83 ImagesCarol also has the ability to absorb cosmic energy and other forms of energy and channel it back in the form of photonic blasts. Occasionally she evolves into an even more powerful form known as Binary and can generate her own massive energy supplies. The trailer features one scene that could indicate Carol will undergo a similar transformation in the film. 
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