Where Does 'Captain Marvel' Fit In The MCU?

As the time to begin filming on Captain Marvel draws closer and closer, it's only natural to start pondering where exactly in the Marvel Cinematic Universe our new fave leading lady will actually be situated. With all the excitement around introducing Captain Marvel into the MCU, where will she fit? Will she be connected to any pre-existing characters or is she, like the Marvel characters making a home on Netflix, destined to float outside the hallowed Avengers/MCU sphere? We already know the fellow newcomer to the MCU, Doctor Strange, will get make an appearance in Avengers: Infinity War and he may have a connection to Thor: Ragnarok thanks to leaked rumors of some crucial post credits sequences in Doctor Strange.

Where exactly Captain Marvel will fit in — if she is, indeed, meant to fit in — will be entirely dependent on who is chosen to direct the film. While there's been speculation (and sincere hope) that a female director will be brought in on Captain Marvel, Marvel Studio head Kevin Feige maintains that whomever is chosen to direct, their vision will be a "roadmap" for the film and, by extension, an roadmap to fitting in in the MCU.

With Captain Marvel, there’s so much potential in the comics and there have been so many incarnations of her powers and the characters who’ve had that mantle that we’ve been focusing in on exactly how do we tell her origin. How does it fit into the cosmic side of our universe? How does it fit into what we’re doing with the next Avengers movies? So really, that’s what’s been delaying that particular announcement.

This attention to finding the right director who will, in turn, determine how Captain Marvel's origin story links logically back into the MCU is equal parts enlightening and frustrating. It's not often we get to see just how life-or-death crucial one director's take on a film will be inside a larger context. That said, having to actually wait to see who gets the job means that even though we, the fans, can see how to place Captain Marvel, those theories could fall apart based on the director.

If my feeling is correct that Captain Marvel will have as intergalactic a role as Doctor Strange is slated to have (note: he's rumored to deliver the Infinity Stones to Thor), then there's a good chance that she will also make an appearance in either part of the Infinity War two-part event. The very fabric of her origin story is tied back to her gaining her powers from an alien race who, theoretically, could rub shoulders with Thor, the Guardians of the Galaxy or Doctor Strange. Who's to say her powers could be linked to another Avengers through distant interaction? Or she will be drawn in to a fight because of her alien ties? Plus, if she's as strong as she's currently rumored to be, then I think we might see Captain Marvel become a major asset to the Avengers.

No matter how things shake out, I am still aghast that Captain Marvel won't hit theaters until 2019. Waiting for something so glorious has never felt so interminable.