The MCU’s Next Phase Is Going To Be Huge For Captain Marvel

Brie Larson will finally make her debut as Carol Danvers when Captain Marvel hits theaters on Mar. 8. The movie is set a couple of decades before the current timeline, and will quickly be followed into theaters by Avengers: Endgame on Apr. 6. After Thanos' snap, so much hangs in the balance of these next two movies, but will Captain Marvel get a sequel?

No official plans for a sequel have been announced by Marvel Studios, but this movie almost certainly won’t be the last we’ll see of Captain Marvel. Last year, The Hollywood Reporter noted that Larson “landed a generous payday but in exchange signed a seven-picture deal that locks her into multiple franchises,” meaning that she’ll likely appear in a mix of Avengers movies as well as her own, like the other heroes.

It's just about for sure that she’ll be part of the next Avengers movie, too, given her symbol appeared at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, after all the heroes disappeared. That means she could have a very important role in defeating Thanos and paving the way for Phase Four of the MCU, that’ll wrap up the narratives for several of the original Avengers. But, as reported by Comic Book Movie, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said there won’t be any official announcements of movies coming after Avengers: Endgame until the movie comes out.

It might be a while until a Captain Marvel sequel is in the works, but Larson is already thinking ahead of what she hopes the next installment will bring. During a press conference in Singapore, per Cinema Blend, the actor said she’d love to have Kamala Khan, a.k.a. Ms. Marvel, be part of a possible sequel. “I mean, my dream would be that Ms. Marvel gets to come into play in the sequel. That's the goal,” said the actor. Kamala Khan is the first Muslim Marvel hero, so bringing her into the mix onscreen would be groundbreaking.

Though there are plenty of female characters in the MCU, Larson knows how important it is to portray the first female Marvel superhero to get a standalone film. In an interview with Marie Claire, she opened up about how much it means to her. “‘It’s so interesting, as it’s not something I thought about until I was in the cinema watching Wonder Woman. About two minutes in, I was sobbing and thought, ‘Why am I crying so much over this?’ But it was seeing all of these warrior women who were so self-sufficient. That wasn’t something I identified with growing up – my hero was Indiana Jones. To have the chance to be one example of this is powerful and exciting," she said.

Larson also notes to Marie Claire that though Captain Marvel is breaking new ground, it doesn’t solve the lack of representation of women in similar action films. But it’s a great start that’ll pave the way for a new generation of female heroes. “It’s just the beginning. Captain Marvel will not be the answer to all of these things,” noted the actor. “It’s about breaking it open to say, ‘Here’s another way; here’s something to look at to then continue the conversation further.’ For me, just the act of accepting the role and the process of getting physically strong [Larson worked out for four and a half hours every day for three months] changed me so much and made me stronger mentally. Hopefully, that will remind others, whatever journey they’re on, of their inner strength.”

Part of that more representative near future will likely include a Captain Marvel 2.