Captain Marvel spec ramble
So I’ve got something I kind of need to get off my chest; while the thoughts have been kicking around my head for a bit, I’m still not sure they make a lot of sense but I’ll try and work through it.
I’m kind of worried about Captain Marvel. I’m not sold on how good it will be, and I’m concerned it will under-perform; I don’t think it’s going to lose money by any means, but I don’t think it’s going to pull in the kind of numbers they probably hope for.
Look, the marketing for this movie has not been good. I’m almost a lock to go see it (I missed AM&tW last summer, but mostly because our movie theater was being remodeled and it wasn’t here very long, plus I wasn’t that big a fan of Ant-Man) and I’m not sold on the marketing. It looks...fine, when they focus on the story rather than the messaging; but the marketing is too into the messaging.
I don’t exactly have a problem with Carol when they show us her character; I don’t mind that she’s a little stiff and robotic at times as that fits what I can see will likely (or at least hopefully) be her character arc. But they’re only slightly showing her as a character rather the embodiment of empowerment, and that’s just not a good look next to the very flawed and messy heroes of the MCU. I want her to be a brainwashed soldier who rediscovers her humanity over the course of the movie and in future stories is still dealing with what she learns during that experience. That is a character rather than an idea, and I could like that character in a way I don’t like the idea the marketing often focuses on. There are enough hints that I’m right that I’m relatively optimistic about the movie, even if I don’t like the marketing.
But...the very people who would like the embodiment of empowerment idea, are going to be disappointed in the movie if it’s actually a story where Carol falls hard and has to learn to get back up rather than the way the marketing shows her always getting up no matter what. If the movie lets her be a flawed human being who happens to have superpowers (like most of the characters in the MCU), then there will be a crowd who don’t think she’s special enough. But if they make her as perfect as a lot of the marketing would have us believe, she’s going to lose a different section of the audience. And I don’t mean the cry babies who don’t want a powerful woman around; I mean people want an interesting hero to get behind. Do you think Tony Stark has been the backbone of the MCU because of power level?
I know it’s pretty much a given these days that opening weekend is where a movie makes a huge chunk of its money, but I think it’s especially true in this case. Whether the movie is good or bad, some portion of the potential later audience is going to hear that the movie doesn’t conform to the kind of story they want. Plus I don’t think there was ever much probability of repeat viewings, since as soon as it’s over the fans are going to shift their attention to gearing up of End Game.
Also, just for myself, I’m pretty sure I’m not going into this with the intended attitude since I’m most looking forward to Coulson. Second most exciting thing is Fury (although I do have concerns about using a lot of de-aging. Then the 90s; then Jude Law; then how the movies handle the Kree; hoping for sightings of other AoS elements; seeing why they would bother bringing back Ronan and if this makes him any more memorable; that the Skrulls are probably going to important in the next Phase of Marvel stories; wondering if Coulson designed Carol’s primary costume since it’s a little evocative of Captain America’s and Coulson sometimes facies himself a superhero costume designer; and somewhere further down the list maybe I have a little interest in Carol.
On one hand, this does in some ways put me at less risk of being disappointed; if Carol can be okay while the other elements entertain me enough, I’ll probably be fine. On the other there is admittedly something wrong with the hero being the least interesting element in an MCU movie and I’m not sure the center can hold if that is the ways it actually plays out. Also that in a movie they seem to be banking on people getting hyped for female empowerment, I’m most excited for the generic-by-design middle-aged white guy who’ll probably be in only a few minutes of the movie.
I’m kind of worried about Captain Marvel. I’m not sold on how good it will be, and I’m concerned it will under-perform; I don’t think it’s going to lose money by any means, but I don’t think it’s going to pull in the kind of numbers they probably hope for.
Look, the marketing for this movie has not been good. I’m almost a lock to go see it (I missed AM&tW last summer, but mostly because our movie theater was being remodeled and it wasn’t here very long, plus I wasn’t that big a fan of Ant-Man) and I’m not sold on the marketing. It looks...fine, when they focus on the story rather than the messaging; but the marketing is too into the messaging.
I don’t exactly have a problem with Carol when they show us her character; I don’t mind that she’s a little stiff and robotic at times as that fits what I can see will likely (or at least hopefully) be her character arc. But they’re only slightly showing her as a character rather the embodiment of empowerment, and that’s just not a good look next to the very flawed and messy heroes of the MCU. I want her to be a brainwashed soldier who rediscovers her humanity over the course of the movie and in future stories is still dealing with what she learns during that experience. That is a character rather than an idea, and I could like that character in a way I don’t like the idea the marketing often focuses on. There are enough hints that I’m right that I’m relatively optimistic about the movie, even if I don’t like the marketing.
But...the very people who would like the embodiment of empowerment idea, are going to be disappointed in the movie if it’s actually a story where Carol falls hard and has to learn to get back up rather than the way the marketing shows her always getting up no matter what. If the movie lets her be a flawed human being who happens to have superpowers (like most of the characters in the MCU), then there will be a crowd who don’t think she’s special enough. But if they make her as perfect as a lot of the marketing would have us believe, she’s going to lose a different section of the audience. And I don’t mean the cry babies who don’t want a powerful woman around; I mean people want an interesting hero to get behind. Do you think Tony Stark has been the backbone of the MCU because of power level?
I know it’s pretty much a given these days that opening weekend is where a movie makes a huge chunk of its money, but I think it’s especially true in this case. Whether the movie is good or bad, some portion of the potential later audience is going to hear that the movie doesn’t conform to the kind of story they want. Plus I don’t think there was ever much probability of repeat viewings, since as soon as it’s over the fans are going to shift their attention to gearing up of End Game.
Also, just for myself, I’m pretty sure I’m not going into this with the intended attitude since I’m most looking forward to Coulson. Second most exciting thing is Fury (although I do have concerns about using a lot of de-aging. Then the 90s; then Jude Law; then how the movies handle the Kree; hoping for sightings of other AoS elements; seeing why they would bother bringing back Ronan and if this makes him any more memorable; that the Skrulls are probably going to important in the next Phase of Marvel stories; wondering if Coulson designed Carol’s primary costume since it’s a little evocative of Captain America’s and Coulson sometimes facies himself a superhero costume designer; and somewhere further down the list maybe I have a little interest in Carol.
On one hand, this does in some ways put me at less risk of being disappointed; if Carol can be okay while the other elements entertain me enough, I’ll probably be fine. On the other there is admittedly something wrong with the hero being the least interesting element in an MCU movie and I’m not sure the center can hold if that is the ways it actually plays out. Also that in a movie they seem to be banking on people getting hyped for female empowerment, I’m most excited for the generic-by-design middle-aged white guy who’ll probably be in only a few minutes of the movie.