Warning: Potential SPOILERS for Captain Marvel
If comic book fans hoped Wonder Woman would prove female-led blockbusters were beyond sexist nonsense, then Captain Marvel showed there's work to be done. Especially when the first full Captain Marvel trailer showed star Brie Larson kicking all kinds of butt, soon met by many online wondering "...why doesn't she try smiling more?"
That criticism of Larson's 'serious' demeanor in Captain Marvel posters, photos, and the trailer was soon called out as insidious sexism, since the same questions have rarely, if ever, been posed in response to male superheroes - almost always depicted as brooding, tough, and with the weight of the world on their shoulders. Still, some could (and did) argue that Captain Marvel is seeming like less 'fun' than previous MCU films. Or, at the very least, that Carol Danvers' unhappiness at dealing with superpowers is a shift away from the MCU towards the DCEU's Batman and Superman.
But what makes this criticism such total nonsense is that the facts of Marvel's movie universe doesn't support it at all. In fact, based on her very first trailer, Captain Marvel is smiling more than literally every other MCU hero before her. Yeah... we were surprised, too.
- This Page: It's Not Sexist To Say Captain Marvel Seems Serious
- Page 2: Captain Marvel is Smiling More Than Any Other Hero
Captain Marvel IS Serious, But That's Nothing New
The problem isn't with men who'd feel just as comfortable telling a woman on the street that "she should smile more" as they would a fictional superhero - they're beyond saving. The issue is realizing that male superhero fans only offer that criticism of a woman in the leading role: that she should smile to appear more attractive, and warm towards the audience. A point made clear when Brie Larson shared smile photoshops of MCU heroes, pointing out that most, if not ALL Marvel heroes are marketed as stoic, eyes set with determination, doing their best to be brooding badasses.
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And that's the point at which movie fans - likely male - who share that instinct, whether voiced or not, should give a moment's pause. Perhaps some of the response comes in the wake of DC's Wonder Woman: the first female-led superhero blockbuster of the current era. A film that relied heavily on star Gal Gadot's beauty, warmth, strength, and smile. Again, not in the first trailer or on posters. But it's important to remember that while she shattered a glass ceiling, those winning, heartwarming qualities only define Diana, not 'a female superhero.'
There is a conversation to have about how women are presented in Marvel's films thus far, and how responsible the studio is for an audience that feels entitled to state they should be appealing, and outwardly more carefree than their male colleagues. But for the purposes of this discussion, how Marvel presents a female lead, and how the same treatment is received differently by the audience is enough of a 'bias-check' on its own. Because the truth is: no poster, no wallpaper, no key art has depicted Marvel's heroes looking happy to be doing their jobs for years.
And when you compare the first Captain Marvel trailer to the trailers of her previous Marvel heroes, Carol Danvers actually IS "smiling more" right out of the gate.
Page 2: Captain Marvel is Smiling More Than Any MCU Hero
Generally, MCU Heroes Never Smile in Their First Trailer
It might seem a little unfair to compare Carol Danvers, a character seen only in fractured bits of live footage, in a single announcement trailer, to men and women that fans of the Marvel Universe have gotten to know for a decade. Especially since some of the warmest, most heartfelt, or perhaps throwaway laughs or smirks occur in moments too small to make most movie trailers. Trailers are built for big explosions, slow-motion punches or dodges, and energetic musical stings. At least... they used to be.
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These days, just about every other Marvel movie has revealed that their hero or heroes are facing the end of the world, if not the entire universe. Slow, painful covers of well-known songs have replaced the long-forgotten AC/DC of Iron Man previews, and ominous, gloomy narration has taken over where short snippets of dialogue once won over movie crowds. Believe us, when you sit down and watch every one of the MCU's trailers back-to-back (which we did), the overwhelmingly grim, dire, and foreboding tone makes criticism of DC's style seem suspect.
"But Captain Marvel is an introduction to a hero," the skeptics of her serious tone might say, "so she should be more optimistic, or as positive as the Phase 1 heroes to win new fans." But as we mentioned before, a Marvel fan's assumptions about MCU introductions are hard to remove. So to give Carol a shot, let's go back to look at how Marvel Studios introduced their heroes to the world.
We only have the debut trailer of Captain Marvel to compare with, so we'll use that as our metric (to be clear, we're referring to the first preview extending over 90 seconds, not what Marvel refers to as a 'Teaser' or 'Sneak Peek'). Take a look at every single discernible smile from a title hero in a debut trailer, spanning the past 10 years and 20 Marvel films:
Fans who would claim with confidence that Marvel markets each new film to showcase the fun, the adventure, and the charm or humor of its lead(s) don't have the facts on their side. Those moments may come later in additional trailers and TV spots, designed specifically to sell the movie to different audiences. But when the world lines up to know what story will be told in a new MCU instalment, the trailer shows its hero or heroes to be against the wall, painfully training, experiencing trauma or loss, and seemingly fighting an uphill battle. (Not a great environment for a big grin, a quippy one-liner, or a laugh).
The villains may grin with evil, but... that's their job as a comic villain. And heroes may not be locked in a downcast stare in every shot, either. But the criticism leveled against Captain Marvel - that she could seem happy to be a hero, or act like she's enjoying saving the day by giving the audience a smile - is completely at odds with how Marvel debuts their films to the world. A Marvel movie is decreasingly a place for joy or even casual smiles. Even the Guardians of the Galaxy's first looks are limited to Gamora's sinister grin, and considering the Guardians' fates after Infinity War, who can blame them?
So, what makes Captain Marvel so special? Well, her first trailer actually shows her with a bigger smile than any previous film - literally and figuratively.
Captain Marvel Sports The MCU's Biggest Debut Smile
The only real contender to Carol Danvers in terms of expressing-something-that-can-be-perceived-as-a-smile motivated by happiness or amusement is Thor: Ragnarok, which waited for the final moments of its trailer to take Chris Hemsworth from grim uncertainty to unexpected relief. Is it the actor and character's fifth film? Yes. Were the efforts to even make this moment possible by making Thor 3 a full-blown action comedy well-documented? Also, yes. Given that, we'll put Carol's toothy grin in her first trailer, as a throwaway moment in conversation as a feat on a level all its own.
Toss in the glimpse of Carol as a little girl, driving a go-kart, and smiling as she discovers a love of speed... and you've got a more joyous Marvel hero than audiences have had in years. In all honesty, ranking alongside only Thor, Valkyrie, Shuri, and Okoye as Marvel characters regularly shown in high spirits in their films' first few trailers.
Asking Captain Marvel to be happier, and give bigger smiles this early? That only makes sense if you want to make her the optimistic face of the MCU's futre... which we wouldn't be against, for the record.
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