March 8th was International Women’s Day, a day where we celebrate womanhood and the release date of Marvel’s highly anticipated first female lead superhero movie, Captain Marvel. The movie is estimated to have made approximately $500 million worldwide on opening day alone and many predict it will continue to take over every weekend until Avengers: Endgame is released in April.
I had the pleasure of watching Captain Marvel opening weekend and although there was a lot of hesitation, both from Marvel fans and non-fans, about Brie Larson starring as the hero the movie, she didn’t disappoint! There were many scenes in the movie that although fictional, resembled issues we face today.
Representation matters and we’re beginning to see more of it in movies and television shows. “Black Panther” and “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” are two other amazing movies who have people of color as the main characters instead of being the sidekick or background characters. Captain Marvel’s main character is a woman, who’s trying to be her own person in a man’s world. Having that type of representation is incredibly important, especially for kids. When a kid sees someone on the screen that looks like them, they become more confident and excited. We saw the same concept happen when Wonder Woman was released in 2017. More young girls wanted to dress up as Wonder Woman for Halloween and were excited that a girl was the main character instead of a man.
Related: “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is a Game-Changer
As I was walking out of the theatre I heard a mother ask her daughter “what did Captain Marvel do every time she fell?” to which her daughter replied, “she got up.” These small, but important lessons are ones we need to teach the young girls in our lives. That no matter what obstacle knocks us down, we must continue to get up and work harder. The movie also showcased the unbreakable relationship we have with our best friend. Lashana Lynch acts as Maria Rambeau, Carol’s best friend and their relationship is one that makes you want to laugh and cry at the same time. While watching the movie I couldn’t help but think of my own best friend, the person who’s always down for excitement but will never let me talk down on myself when I’m upset.
Captain Marvel was an excellent movie. Modern themes combined with humor, the dismantling of female stereotypes and the importance of never giving up has made it one of the best feminist movies of the year. Not only did it make Marvel fans more excited for the upcoming Avengers movie but it also made women all over the world want to fight better and harder against misogyny and sexism. This movie has surpassed all expectations and set the standards for female-led movies moving forward.
Also, don’t be surprised if you see a lot of little Captain Marvel’s coming to your door this Halloween.