The Marvels was considered a fun movie by those who watched it, but ‘fun’ is not what makes a blockbuster film. Despite casting Brie Larson, the actress who delivered her billion-dollar solo Captain Marvel, The Marvels crashed and burned at the box office, failing to break even.
Given the box office bomb that was The Marvels, it is safe to assume that Brie Larson’s days helming a solo franchise within the MCU are over, if not close to it. What will serve as a litmus test for whether Captain Marvel will get a trilogy is her appearance in other films, as a supporting character, and how that pans out.
There are multiple projects where Captain Marvel could pop up in
Captain Marvel might not have much significance at the box office anymore, but it does not deter the fact that she is one of the strongest Avengers in the MCU. Her presence in the narrative is important, simply because she provides a lot of muscle while going up against big-name villains like Thanos and Kang.
Eternals 2 could be a great fit for the character, given that the Domo and Eternals will be busy finding allies to fight the Celestials and rescue Phastos, Kingo and Sersi. Captain Marvel could find herself in Thor 5 too, given the relationship that has been established between Valkyrie and Captain Marvel.
Captain Marvel could also appear in Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 4, if and when that happens. Needless to say. the character would appear in the Avengers crossovers, Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars.
Also Read: “My identity was tangled up in…”: Why Brie Larson Considered Dropping Captain Marvel Role
Captain Marvel could be subject to the Worf effect
The Worf effect is a concept that was made famous by the Star Trek character Worf. Given that he was physically the strongest crew member, being Klingon, whenever the villain’s threat was to be portrayed as serious, they would take on Worf, and end up defeating him. A similar approach could be taken with Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel, who so far has barely had to exert herself in a fight.
Going forward, rather than killing the character, Marvel could introduce villains that could be stronger, and to prove their strength, pit them against Captain Marvel. In such scenarios, Captain Marvel would have to lose, showing that the character is a legitimate threat, similar to what was done with Thor and Hulk at the beginning of Infinity War.
Brie Larson‘s Captain Marvel might have started in the MCU with immense momentum, but it has since fizzled out. It is highly unlikely that Marvel will give Brie Larson a solo outing anytime soon, if ever. The character will probably be relegated to the same status as the Hulk, serving as a muscle in team-up films, or making cameos on side IPs like Ms. Marvel and WandaVision.
