Why Captain Marvel Is Going To Be A Very Different MCU Movie

8. It's Set Entirely In The Past

One of the most interesting things about the MCU is that it follows a linear structure. That may not sound all that unconventional to cinema-goers at first, but in the twisting, convoluted, reboot-laded context of the actual Marvel Universe, it's actually kind of a big deal. There's a sense of finality to the whole thing.

2011's The First Avenger was the first MCU feature to ground itself primarily within the context of a historical setting, in its case World War II, to introduce a character. Given Captain America's Nazi-punching origins it was an essential story to tell, and indeed, one that's seemingly paved the way for other historically-minded projects to carve out their own timeline in Marvel's cinematic universe.

Whereas the Captain is pretty much synonymous with the Second World War, other characters (like Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne), hold no such synonymy with the past. While The Hulk and Iron Man may have started life as Cold War analogues for atomic warfare and positive philanthropism respectively, their stories are easily transplanted to a modern context, as is the case with Captain Marvel herself.

This makes the decision to ground her first solo outing in a nineties context so interesting, especially so, given the characters tumultuous history doing that period. Whatever the reason for the setting, it's great to see Marvel carve out a history for their universe in much the same way Fox did with X-Men, especially if there are plenty of nineties vibes to go around.