How 'Captain Marvel' Fits in With '90s MCU Events From 'Civil War' and 'Black Panther'

When Captain Marvel opens in theaters this March, film will bring into focus a new era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But while the film's 1990s setting breaks new ground, it will also maintain its ties to events planted by both Iron Man and Black Panther.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to the film's set, producer Jonathan Schwartz spoke to Captain Marvel's place within the larger events of the MCU as established in those previous films -- specifically Klaw stealing Vibranium from Wakanda as referenced in Black Panther and Howard Stark's death that's such a significant part of Iron Man's history and it sounds like while those events exist, it's Carol Danvers' story that is the most important.

"It's all happening," Schwartz said. "It's all happening in the background. Part of what we liked about the 90s, like I said, was giving Carol her own turf. There are a lot of setups, and there are a lot of connections to other things happening in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but I think what's most important is giving Carol space for her own adventure."

It's a sentiment that Schwartz has shared before. Last fall, he told EW something similar and noted that by setting Captain Marvel in the mid-'90s, the hero would be able to carve out her own space without being part of a larger pack. There's a certain utility to that. With the exception of Captain America (played by Chris Evans in the MCU) who was on the scene during World War II and the original Ant-Man and Wasp (Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer respectively) in the 1980s, the majority of the heroes within the MCU are all products of and operate in the same era and are in many ways interconnected. By having Carol debut in the 1990s, it's a chance to tell a unique story even as much as it is a chance to expand the story of the MCU -- especially since Howard Stark's death ends up being a significant contributor to the divide between Captain America and Iron Man.

There's also something familiar about the 1990s setting of the film, and not just because major MCU events from that era have long been part of the overall story. In many ways, the 1990s are experiencing something of a revival, trend-wise, with many elements of the era still familiar on a large scale given that the iconic decade wasn't all that long ago. It also is a time period that's significant for characters in the MCU whose stories haven't fully been explored yet -- such as Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson).

Captain Marvel, starring Brie Larson, Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn, Gemma Chan, Lee Pace, Djimon Hounsou, Lashana Lynch, Annette Bening, Clark Gregg, and Samuel L. Jackson, opens March 8, 2019.