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Marvel Cinematic Universe fans have known that Captain Marvel 2 is in the works for months now. But now, the release date is official. An announcement involving the entire MCU slate — which has been affected by the coronavirus (COVID- 19) pandemic — brought this news. And it may have also revealed pertinent information about the upcoming sequel.

‘Captain Marvel’ took place in the ’90s

Jude Law and Brie Larson in ‘Captain Marvel’ | Marvel Studios

It took Marvel a long time to finally introduce a female character in her own solo film. With Captain Marvel, fans were introduced to Carol Danvers, a U.S. Air Force pilot who lost her memory following an accident. She ends up a member of the Kree Starforce, going by the name Vers. When she lands back on Earth, she discovers who she really is and what her powers are.

Though it was the 21st film in the MCU, the film takes place in 1995, before the events of any of the others (aside from Captain America: The First Avenger). This allowed it to exist without disturbing the established timeline. Audiences learn that it was Carol who gave Nick Fury, then a young SHIELD agent, the idea for the Avenger Initiative.

Larson played the character again in ‘Avengers: Endgame’

Given when audiences saw the film, the question quickly became: Where has Captain Marvel been during everything that we’ve seen happen in the MCU up until this point? She meets the Avengers for the first time in the post-credit sequence of her film, when she arrives to find them taking catalog of who they lost at the end of Avengers: Infinity War. Her concern is for her old pal, Fury.

Though she doesn’t have much screen time, Carol plays an important role in Avengers: Endgame. She rescues Tony Stark and Nebula, and stays in contact with the team during the five-year period that passes. And she keeps busy — as she tells Rhodey during the film, “There are a lot of other planets out in the universe.” But she’s there when the defeat Thanos in the end.

‘Captain Marvel 2’ now has a release date

With Brie Larson only appearing in two films so far (and knowing that her contract likely includes up to five more), the question became: When will Captain Marvel 2 be announced? Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige breezed past the subject at San Diego Comic-Con and the D23 Expo in 2019. But 2020 brought good news.

News about the sequel first hit in early 2020. Given how Marvel’s slate was laid out, the earliest date it could get would be in 2022. When the coronavirus pandemic pushed back the rest of the MCU slate, Captain Marvel 2 finally got an official premiere: July 8, 2022.

Will the sequel take place in the past?

This was likely as early as any fans would have expected to see Captain Marvel 2. The decision to shift release dates has to do with two factors: When they’ll be able to resume filming (for those currently in production) or begin filming (for those that haven’t begun), and if information revealed in one movie will impact another.

Because Captain Marvel 2 didn’t require a later release date, we have to wonder: Could this mean that it won’t tie-in to any of the other films. If this is the case, it might mean that it takes place in the period of time between Captain Marvel and Iron Man. Or, it simply means that it is entirely off-Earth, and will involve no interaction with other Avengers. Whatever the case, we’re glad to finally have a date on the calendar.

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