PETALING JAYA, Feb 18 — Is Captain Marvel ready to take up the mantle of leading the Avengers post-Thanos snap?
While it would be nothing short of crazy to bet against a Marvel movie, especially an origin story of one of the ensemble’s finest, the numbers are of concern for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) first female superhero-led cinematic romp.
There have been none-too-optimistic projections for its opening to Captain Marvel herself.
Besides Brie Larson coming under fire from some fanboys for her feminist comments, there is the revelation that the press preview of Captain Marvel, will be on the morning of opening day itself on March 6.
A worrying and loathsome sign as embargo dates too close to a film’s release date usually signal a potential bomb.
However, while the earlier trailer was hardly convincing that this could be one of Marvel’s finest, it is hardly a sign to expect the worst.
So when the cast and directors of upcoming blockbuster Captain Marvel were in Singapore last week for their first stop of their world tour to promote the movie, it was a chance for Malay Mail to get a closer glimpse to see if it there were any valid concerns.
Prior to the press conference and a fan event by actors Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson and Gemma Chan, as well as co-directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck at Marina Bay Sands, members of the regional press were treated to a screening of a 15-minute teaser of bits from the movie the day before.
Which for some strange reason, also came with an embargo for review, only to be shared from tomorrow.
Not that there was much to go on, revealing little of the plotline in comparison to what can be gleaned from the trailers.
The Asian press conference barely lasted 15 minutes and so what was learnt after three days on the island with the cast of one of the most anticipated movies of the year?
After all, if Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel itself doesn’t dazzle you, Nick Fury paging for her at Avengers: Infinity War should alert you of her relevance to the final galactic showdown.
Right?
So here are eight things we did manage to find out about Captain Marvel.
Will Captain Marvel be key to defeating Thanos?
“That is a very good question, which I absolutely cannot answer,” replied Larson.
The Oscar winner in a rubber suit will inflict pain
“Initially I thought there was no way I could ever live up to Carol Danvers, but getting to play her, I learnt so much about having self-respect and self-confidence and I value myself unapologetically far more than I did before this film,” was Larson’s take of the character.
The Oscar-winning actress said she trained intensely for nine months, including judo and weightlifting, so that she could understand what female strength felt like and embody it.
That “rubber suit” as Fury calls it in a clip, made things “40 per cent harder”, according to Larson, adding that it felt like “treading water all day”.
Cosplayers note that there were scenes that the suit had to be cut open to allow for more movement in action sequences.
Girl power!
While there will undoubtedly be comparisons of Marvel’s first female superhero solo vehicle to its rivals’ Wonder Woman, Larson’s stance is anything but fluff.
Asked during the press conference on which superhero she would like to pair up with, she replied, "My dream would be that Ms Marvel gets to come into play", referring to the character of Kamala Khan, a young Muslim, Pakistani-American teenager and a shape-shifting Inhuman.
Nick Fury will get some major throwback
In the film set in the 1990s, Jackson, who plays a younger Fury can be seen sans scar and eye patch, and some hair.
“It was the same way I played older Nick Fury, but with a little less knowledge. Having two eyes, I had a lot less instinct than older Nick Fury. I learned a lot from (Captain Marvel) in the course of the film.”
Oh and Fury will fight.
You’ve seen some of his moves in 2012’s The Avengers and 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but in Captain Marvel, he will be showing some moves of his own with a short and sweet, “Yes” in reply to if he had fight scenes.
Kree spies are hot
Gemma Chan (Astrid Young in Crazy Rich Asians) plays Kree spy Minerva will be more than just eye candy.
“The characters couldn’t be further apart. Astrid is gentle and kind. Minerva is kind of the opposite. It was great to play a character who’s sarcastic. She has a lot of sassy one-liners.”
Much ado about Goose
Carol Danvers’ cat Goose is more than just a pet — he has his own official poster, and may just be a little bit more than cute.
“I remember that very early on in the development process, (Marvel Studios president) Kevin Feige looked at one of our outlines and said, we need a hundred percent more of that cat in there.”
Stan The Man
The first Marvel release post the passing of Stan Lee last year, celebrated the man with “Excelsior! Thank you Stan. 1922-2018,” flashing on screens at the Sands Expo And Convention Centre during the hosting of a fan event.
Will there be more Stan cameos in Captain Marvel and beyond?
Jackson revealed the legend “might still end up in every Marvel movie” thorough 3D scanning, which is the technology used for characters in their costumes that could enabled a detailed ‘hologram’ be conjured up.
Captain Marvel opens in cinemas nationwide on March 6.
