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Captain Marvel made $1.1 billion at the worldwide box office. Yet, despite its commercial and critical success, some fans still seem to think the Marvel Cinematic Universe will set aside star Brie Larson. Not only is the Oscar-winning actress not going anywhere anytime soon; the MCU will pivot towards her in the very near future.

After all, Avengers: Endgame left Iron Man and Captain America-sized holes in the franchise. Someone needs to step up to assemble a new team of Avengers. And as much as fans love Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, a teenager who’s still coming into his own as a hero probably isn’t the best choice to lead the team.

However, a military-trained space cop with a rock-solid moral center and literal out-of-this-world power set? Yes, please. Of course, that’s assuming Carol Danvers would even want to lead Earth’s Mightiest Heroes into battle.

Brie Larson at the 'Captain Marvel' screening
Brie Larson at the ‘Captain Marvel’ screening | Dia Dipasupil/WireImage

‘Captain Marvel’ was successful enough to pin the MCU’s future on

As mentioned, Captain Marvel was a monster hit for Marvel Studios. Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck brought the 1990s-set tale to audiences in 2019. And as a lead-in to Avengers: Endgame, the film perfectly fits within the MCU’s rich tapestry of stories and characters.

The film’s sequel has finally been slated for a July 8, 2022 release. And while it hasn’t been confirmed, we anticipate it could be the new conclusion for Phase 4 of the MCU. If that’s the case, then Captain Marvel 2 will probably be a critical piece of the puzzle moving forward.

Fans already know Phase 4 isn’t going to include an Avengers film. So the announced line-up of movies and Disney+ series will likely instead focus on setting up the heroes who will drive the MCU into the future. Thanos left a lasting impact on the MCU’s future, and the world will need to be ready for whatever comes next.

The events of ‘Avengers: Endgame’ might have inspired her to lead

Case in point, Captain Marvel’s run-in with the Mad Titan in Avengers: Endgame might have opened her to consider her role in the greater MCU. When she first meets the Avengers, they demand to know where Carol has been all this time. She explains that she has a lot of worlds to protect, many of which don’t have heroes of their own.

However, after witnessing the scale of Thanos’ attack on Earth, there’s a very real chance Captain Marvel will want to keep a closer eye on her home planet. After all, she’s probably rarely been challenged in the way she was by Thanos himself. Although she has a lot of space to protect, Earth still needs her help, especially without an Avengers team.

Fans already saw Captain Marvel effectively join the Avengers. In addition to her heroic arrival in the final battle, she appears early in Avengers: Endgame in a meeting with other heroes. With the team in shambles, Carol could take it upon herself to get ready for the next Thanos-level threat. After all, no one is more qualified to do so than she is.

‘Captain Marvel’ star Brie Larson will be the MCU’s new figurehead

In interviews, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has already confirmed the plan is for Larson’s Captain Marvel to assume a leadership role. While she is a divisive figure in some corners of the internet, the actress herself is enough of a household name to become the next face of the franchise.

Some reports have indicated Larson has her own demands in order to secure a long-term contract, which were reportedly met. Knowing her political activism, we suspect this partly involves better representation behind the scenes and in front of the camera.

Seeing as Feige has embraced diversity from the beginning, that shouldn’t be a problem. So fans of the MCU who take issue with Captain Marvel might be in for a rough road ahead. Meanwhile, others will have plenty of exciting development in store, as Larson ascends into a more central role.

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