Is everybody ready to meet the next big player in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Captain Marvel is only a month away, and the movie has the potential to bring big changes to the franchise of over 23 films and counting. Yeah, yeah, we know that the world is ready for Avengers: Endgame, but the Avengers can’t assemble without their latest and most powerful member. She’s already poised to be the leader of the team after her solo film kicks off, be prepared to see a lot more of the mighty Captain Marvel.
Her film is gearing up to be quite the crowd-pleaser. It takes place in the past, it has scenes both on Earth and in space, it features younger versions of other MCU characters, and it even presents an entirely new cosmic threat to the universe. With so much going on in Captain Marvel, fans have wasted no time speculating and coming up with theories about what this film could mean for the rest of the series. For this list, we’re going to take a look at these wild fan theories to see which ones seem unlikely as well as which ones could still be true.
Keep in mind that the theories found below aren’t exclusive to the Captain Marvel movie itself. The theories are about both the movie and the character, so while we will be discussing her upcoming film, we will be touching on Avengers: Endgame and beyond. With that out of the way, let’s dig in. Here are 15 Captain Marvel Fan Theories That Could Still Be True (And 10 We Hope Aren’t).
Could Be True — Captain Marvel Has Always Been Around
Ever since Captain Marvel was set to appear in Avengers: Age of Ultron, fans have wondered how her cancelled cameo would have been implemented. Redditor Sinnik22 makes a great case for this — he theorizes that she has been active in the franchise since then and has affected the films in ways yet to be revealed.
Why has Nick Fury kept her a secret for two decades? Did they reconnect in his reclusive absence after Captain America: The Winter Soldier? The theory states that Captain Marvel has already been defending Earth from space, and that she met with Fury in between the events of Winter Soldier and Age of Ultron.
Could Be True — Nick Fury Will Lose An Eye
A young, suspiciously two-eyed Nick Fury will appear in Captain Marvel. Seeing as he’s known for his eye-patch, it’s safe to assume that fans will finally learn how he lost his left eye.
Fury remarks “The last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye!” in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but fans have never gotten any further details. Fans theorize that a Skrull — the villainous shape-shifting aliens in Captain Marvel — will take his eye out in combat. Another popular theory is that Goose, Carol’s cat, might scratch it out.
Even in trailers and marketing material, Nick Fury has bandages above his left eye. That can’t be a good sign, right?
We Hope Not — The Movie Takes Place In An Alternate Timeline
Time travel and alternate dimensions are concepts that the Marvel movies have briefly touched on. Doctor Strange travels the multiverse and Ant-Man films feature the Quantum Realm. The concepts aren’t exactly accessible science fiction, but some fans theorize that they might play a huge role in Captain Marvel.
Rumors indicate that Avengers: Endgame might include time travel — technically dimensional travel — as a key story element. Is it possible that Carol Danvers is from a different universe? Fans have theorized that Captain Marvel will be pulled out of her own universe to help fight Thanos, but it seems like an unnecessary wrinkle in an already complicated franchise.
Could Be True — Jude Law Plays A Villain
Actor Jude Law is reportedly playing Carol Danvers’ mentor. In the comics, this is Mar-Vell, the original Captain Marvel. However, Law has been oddly secretive about the role, which has led many fans to believe that he is hiding a major plot twist.
Fans have speculated that he is actually the classic Captain Marvel villain named Yon-Rogg. The movie’s merchandise suggests this is the case, although it is possible he is playing both characters — perhaps Mar-Vell is just an alias. In any case, the movie puts both “good” mentor characters on the poster beside Carol herself, suggesting that Marvel Studios might be trying to set audiences up for a shock.
Could Be True — Talos Takes Fury’s Eye
Who better to take Nick Fury’s eye than his shape-shifting alien boss? Ben Mendelsohn plays Talos, the leader of the Skrulls invading Earth. In his human form, he plays is S.H.I.E.L.D. agent that acts as Nick Fury’s superior.
The theory is that Fury may trust Talos while unaware of his alien origins — something Fury has alluded to in The Winter Soldier — so it would make perfect sense for Talos to betray him at some point.
Talos likely reveals his alien form and attacks Nick Fury, damaging or removing his eye in the process. Things might turn out differently, but this sounds like a safe bet.
We Hope Not — The Movie Will Create Plotholes
Avengers: Infinity War makes it clear that Nick Fury is well aware of Captain Marvel. Her solo film shows that they meet in the mid-’90s. Since then, Earth has experienced killer robots, super-powered terrorists, and several alien invasions. The question is, then, why hasn’t Fury called her to help with these threats?
Fans theorize that Captain Marvel could create some glaring plotholes in the Marvel universe if this isn’t addressed. She is probably on an important mission or something, but there better be a good excuse. If not, then Nick Fury has some serious explaining to do.
Could Be True —Captain Marvel Will Lead The Avengers
Avengers: Endgame marks the end of an era for the MCU. Some Avengers may bite the dust, key actors will no longer participate, and a new generation of heroes will have to take the forefront. Among these candidates are Black Panther, Spider-Man, perhaps Doctor Strange — but Captain Marvel will almost certainly be their leader.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has confirmed that Captain Marvel will be their most powerful hero to date, and that she is set to become the new face of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Fans still have to see whether her spotlight feels natural or forced, but she will undoubtedly be the one assembling the team after 2019.
Could Be True — Starforce Is Evil
Calling this a fan theory might be giving it too much credit — it’s more like a plot point that hasn’t been confirmed. Captain Marvel appears to be part of Starforce in the film, a team made up of — other than Carol herself — comic book villains. Of course, this is because Starforce is a team of villains in the comics.
She appears as one of their members likely at the start of the film, but allegiances will probably change. How exactly this happens remains unclear, but we suspect that this theory is right on the money. Why would an Avenger side with villains anyway?
We Hope Not — Two Carols
This fan theory by redditor Zepanda66 is an odd one. It’s not impossible, but it seems like a stretch. The original poster theorizes that there will be two different versions of Carol Danvers in the film: one human, and one Skrull.
According to the theory, Carol Danvers will be hooked up to a machine that transfers her mind into a Skrull. The real Captain Marvel will eventually break free and work with the alien, who has sided with the humans against her own people.
This would be a great way to show that not all Skrulls are evil, but it would take valuable screen-time away from Captain Marvel in her debut.
Could Be True — Captain Marvel Will Set Up Secret Invasion
The Thanos saga has spanned years’ worth of Marvel movies, but who will be the big bad after him? Now that Captain Marvel deals with the shape-shifting Skrulls, it seems like the next Avengers film could be based on Secret Invasion.
Secret Invasion is a comic storyline where the Skrulls have successfully infiltrated the Earth’s governing infrastructure. Even some of the Avengers could be Skrulls in hiding!
Captain Marvel will certainly be familiar with them, and rumors indicate that even Hawkeye will be hunting them down at the beginning of Avengers: Endgame. Perhaps Captain Marvel is only the beginning of a larger invasion to come.
Could Be True — Goose Is An Alien
Don’t look at us like that. Carol Danvers’ pet cat Goose could very well be a dangerous alien.
In the comics, her pet (named Chewie after the Star Wars character) looks like a cat, but he’s actually a Flerken — a violent and grotesque alien species that can act as a portal to other dimensions. Yes, it’s ridiculous, and something Captain Marvel herself didn’t believe until it was pointed out by a terrified Rocket Raccoon.
Since nothing is what it seems in Captain Marvel, it would only make sense for this to include Goose. If the film takes this element from the comics, then Nick Fury is getting way too close for comfort.
We Hope Not — An Avenger Is A Skrull
If Captain Marvel does set up a Secret Invasion storyline, then it’s safe to say that we might see a beloved hero reveal a dark secret. Skrulls have taken the identities of various heroes in the comics, and it would be painful to discover that somebody fans have loved for years was really a Skrull all along.
Who knows when this could pay off, if at all — there could be an Avenger-Skrull reveal after Endgame, or even as early as Captain Marvel. It would break fans’ hearts (and ours too), but if the Skrulls are in play, then a twist like this is definitely in the cards.
Could Be True — Photon Could Appear
She has gone by many names — Photon, Pulsar, Spectrum, even Captain Marvel at one point — but cosmic hero Monica Rambeau may debut in the upcoming film. Her mother Maria, played by Lashana Lynch, has already been spotted in trailers sporting the code-name “Photon” on the side of her jet.
Actor Akira Akbar reportedly plays Monica in the film, so will Photon actually make an appearance? Our gut says not yet, but it is possible that Photon may be more than Maria’s code-name. The hero will definitely be teased to some degree, so keep an eye out for references to Captain Marvel’s close friend when you’re in theaters.
Could Be True — Captain Marvel Warns Fury About Thanos
The post-credits scene of Avengers: Infinity War has Nick Fury experience Thanos’ snap and begin to fade away. Right before he does, he pulls out a beeper and appears to page Captain Marvel. It wouldn’t be much of a stretch to say that Carol may have told Fury about Thanos’ quest for the Gauntlet.
This popular theory can go two ways. Either Carol warned Fury about a potential alien threat, or she warns him about Thanos specifically. Seeing as Thanos has been “decimating” for decades, Carol would likely know about him. Perhaps Fury has known about Thanos all along, which would explain his secrecy throughout the franchise.
We Hope Not — Captain Marvel Will Introduce Norman Osborn
Comic enthusiasts like when the movies stick to the source material, but one fan theory suggests Captain Marvel could bring the Green Goblin into the MCU in a new and unique way. What if Norman Osborn was a Skrull?
The theory explains that a rogue Skrull could take over business mogul Norman Osborn and use his financial clout to gain power on Earth. He could even appeal to General Ross and create the Thunderbolts, a team of villains disguised as superheroes from the comics
It would create a suitable motivation for Osborn’s villainy, and he would still be called the Green Goblin because that’s what Skrulls generally look like. No offense to Skrulls.
Could Be True — Carol’s Costumes
This next theory covers a pretty small detail, but it sounds plausible, nonetheless. In the Captain Marvel trailers, our hero appears two wear two different suits. One is green — the one she wears as part of Starforce. The other is red and blue, which is Carol’s present-day costume. Could it be that the suit changes colors?
Of course, two different suits might exist, by why would Starforce make one in a different color scheme? Trailers show that Carol is restrained by some kind of experimental Skrull technology (covered in detail here). It’s possible that this machine alters the fabric of her suit and gives her a new look.
We Hope Not — Time Travel Is One Of Her Powers
Marvel has told the world that Captain Marvel is the most powerful Avenger yet, but this might be a step too far. Last month, Samuel L Jackson seemingly confirmed that Captain Marvel is so powerful that she has the ability to time travel on her own.
It would be a disservice to the franchise if a character can just time travel with ease — unlike Doctor Strange, who at least needs an item to do so — but perhaps it’s not so simple. Maybe she can travel through dimensions, and Jackson oversimplified. It’s plausible, but hopefully this is well-executed. It could create some major plotholes otherwise.
Could Be True — Doctor Strange Cameo
Doctor Strange has seen the future and knows what the gang must do to beat Thanos. Since he can see through time and travel through dimensions, some fans theorize that he may be the connection that ties Carol Danvers to the modern-day Avengers.
There are dozens of theories as to how Captain Marvel gets to Earth — some we’ve already discussed — but Doctor Strange could, if he wanted, appear in any movie at any time. After all, magic has no rules.
He could easily have traveled to see her off-screen, or opened a portal through time, or found a way to communicate with her from inside the Soul Gem.
We Hope Not — Carol’s New Origin
Captain Marvel’s origin has always been a bit uninteresting. Traditionally, she receives powers from special Kree technology, which the trailers allude to. However, 2018’s The Life of Captain Marvel creates a new origin for Carol that might not be much of an improvement.
The new comic changes her origin so that her powers never come from any alien machine. Carol’s mother reveals herself as Kree, not human, making Carol Danvers a human-Kree hybrid who has had untapped powers all along.
There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s the exact revelation that Star-Lord uncovers in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Hopefully the film doesn’t retread old ground with a brand-new character.
Could Be True — Carol Saves Tony And Nebula
Trailers for Avengers: Endgame reveal that Tony Stark and Nebula are still trapped in space after their losing battle with Thanos. With a damaged ship and no supplies, fans theorize that Captain Marvel might come to their rescue.
After all, Carol is a space-faring hero. It is totally possible that she has been patrolling space all this time. If she were to find the two — perhaps through a distress signal — she could help out and return to Earth with them. You would think that two tech geniuses could repair the ship by themselves, but this sounds plausible enough.
