A new age of superheroes is on the rise and women are at the front of it. On March 8th, Captain Marvel was released and soon after became the first female superhero film to earn over $1 billion worldwide. The movie won big at the box office and critics gave praise to the next leader of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Captain Marvel tells the story of Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), a Kree soldier fighting a war against the shapeshifting Skrulls. After a particularly intense battle, she finds herself on Earth in the mid 90s and soon begins to recall memories of a life she once had on Earth as Carol Danvers, a U.S Air Force Pilot. Accompanied by a young Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and comedic relief in the form of a cat named Goose (Reggie), the story of Marvel’s origin and the war against the Skrulls unfolds concurrently to make for an interesting debut film. The plot was woven together nicely and the audience was given a twist that changed the entire perspective of the movie. Additionally, they managed to pull it into the wider scope of the Marvel universe in more than one way. Though the movie took place in several different locations and on different planets, there was no confusion as to which events took place where or even when. Piecing together Marvel’s past inbetween fight sequences didn’t feel rushed, and the way information unfolded was clean and properly paced.

The soundtrack is comprised of predominantly female artists and groups, including TLC and Salt- N- Pepa, with additions such as Nirvana and R.E.M. to capture the 90s punk vibe that Carol Danvers embraces. Where computer graphics are concerned, I’ve seen Marvel do better. The sequences weren’t poorly done, but Marvel usually manages to trick the eye into thinking that intergalactic battle is actually taking place. In Captain Marvel the work is impressive, but not up to the standard many viewers have become accustomed to. The fight choreography on the other hand was spectacular. It’s clear that a lot of time went into crafting the scenes to make them both dynamic and easy to track. Whether it was training sequences or actual battles, each fight was entertaining to watch and showed off Marvel’s powers in an unforced way. Thankfully, the movie manages to avoid tired cliches and even takes comedic jabs at overused lines and situations.

It’s hard to talk about Captain Marvel without talking about the statement it makes for both cinema and society. Being the first female lead film in the MCU (after ten years it was about time), there was a lot riding on the movie’s reception. People were criticizing Larson’s performance and the film in general before it even came out, lowering the “audience score” so much so that Rotten Tomatoes had to disable their pre- screening comments and create new preventative policies. However, when the movie was finally released, the reception was more than satisfactory, thwarting the notion that female superheroes aren’t a big enough draw. With Black Widow’s solo movie finally approved, the Wasp becoming a more prominent figure in the Ant-Man franchise, Scarlet Witch having a series on Disney +, and Wonder Woman’s sequel coming out soon, we can expect to see many more strong leading roles held by women.

At this point Captain Marvel is out of theatres, but it’s definitely worth a watch. This is especially true if you plan on seeing Avengers: Endgame on April 26th where she is expected to play a large role in the fight against Thanos. Captain Marvel was a fantastic debut for the new frontrunner of phase four in the Marvel universe, and I am excited to see what she does next.