The Russos discuss Captain Marvel’s integration into Endgame

In a recent interview, the Russo brothers discuss Captain Marvel’s powers and how they decided to introduce such a strong character in a relatable way.

If you’re a big Marvel fan and spend a lot of time on Twitter, you’ve likely seen discussions talking about how Captain Marvel’s addition to the MCU will lead to the defeat of Thanos. Captain Marvel is arguably the most powerful hero in the comics universe, so it’s no wonder many fans are ready to her to join the team and kick Thanos’ butt.

The fact that she is so strong, however, could pose a problem for the filmmakers. Having a hero that can just come in and quickly kill Thanos doesn’t make for a very good story in Avengers: Endgame.

In an interview with Cinema Blend, the Russo brothers were asked about this issue and how they went about bringing Captain Marvel to the story in a way where she wouldn’t be too high-powered.

The Russos note in the interview that they are interested in telling stories about characters who are relatable and real despite their superhero powers. They discussed that this is why they were so drawn to Captain America.

In regards to bringing Carol Danvers into the story, and being aware that she’s stronger than any of their other superheroes, they said that, “We’re all acutely aware of the dangers of having an overly powerful character. [But] we like sensitive storytelling, so… we found a thoughtful way through it.”

This quote is rather vague and doesn’t actually say how they will keep Captain Marvel from being too overpowered. There are a couple of options here. First of all, maybe Captain Marvel herself becomes injured or harmed in some way that keeps her from being at her full powers. Alternatively, Thanos himself could be set up in the story to be so powerful that even Carol Danvers by herself can’t match him. Thanos does seem to be injured at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, but he could be even more powerful by the time we see him again in Endgame.

As far as the MCU goes, audiences don’t know how strong Captain Marvel will be in her standalone film or how the MCU will go about telling this character’s story. We are all still waiting to see her in her own movie before she joins up with the Avengers, and these decisions likely impacted the route the Russo brothers took with Endgame. 

While Carol Danvers likely has the skills and power to fight one-on-one with Thanos and come out on top, the Russos are also aware that this kind of storyline isn’t what the Avengers is all about. In the interview, they also discussed the importance of showing that even the strongest characters have their weaknesses. As Anthony Russo explained,

"That’s what kind of fires us up, I think, on a storytelling level, to be honest with you. Because when you do have powerful characters, you have to work that much harder to find their vulnerabilities and complexities… and keep the stakes high!…As storytellers, that’s been one of the most fun things we’ve had working with these characters is figuring out ways into them where they are vulnerable and they aren’t all powerful."

This focus on storytelling and creating character moments within the action is definitely something that sets the MCU apart, and we are excited to see how they do this for Carol Danvers. This could also be how Captain Marvel’s powers are tempered.

Maybe there is a more emotional reason here. She could possibly have something from her past or some trauma that makes whatever she needs to do with Thanos difficult. This kind of storytelling device is one the Russos have used before. To go back to their Captain America reference, Captain America was almost killed by The Winter Solider, not because he couldn’t beat him, but because he wouldn’t fight his friend.

There could be some more personal kind of reason why Captain Marvel isn’t able to fight Thanos with her full powers, and this kind of a storyline could add depth to Carol and her story in Endgame. 

While, of course, the Russos aren’t giving anything away specifically about how she will function in the story, we can’t wait to see this epic team up and to see this complex character on screen with our other favorite heroes. March and April can’t get here fast enough!