‘Captain Marvel’ Recreates Classic Comic Cover

Captain Marvel is finally in theaters, but it’s not just various elements of Carol Danvers’ comic book history that the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe film is bringing to the big screen — a classic comic book cover is brought to life as well.

Just in case you haven’t yet seen Captain Marvel, be warned that there are spoilers for the movie beyond this point!

Okay, so if you’re still reading you either have seen the movie or don’t mind spoilers and that’s cool either way and, honestly when it comes to the grand scheme of spoilers in Captain Marvel it’s not as huge as say the identity of Mar-Vell. That’s a huge one. By contrast, the recreation of a classic comic book cover is one of the film’s details that not only creates a striking visual image from the film’s standpoint, but also serves as a nod to fans of the character in comic books. So which cover gets the big screen treatment? That would be Joe Quinones cover from Captain Marvel #10 (2012) that features Carol on an air force base looking longingly towards a starlit sky, her bomber jacket worn over her heroic costume.

In comics, the cover belongs to an issue written by Kelly Sue DeConnick in which Carol is no longer able to fly, hence her longing look at the sky. In the movie, however, that look of longing is more one of determination. In the scene near the end of the film, Carol (Brie Larson,) having discovered the truth about her time with the Kree as well as having reclaimed her identity prepares to leave Earth once again and head back into space to carry on her mentor’s mission. Before she leaves, though, Monica (Akira Akbar) gives Carol back her old leather bomber jacket. She puts the jacket on right over her suit with the starry sky above her before she takes off into the night.

The moment is a fitting one. With her memory restored, Carol has not just her ties to Earth returned to her, but her humanity as well. It’s that humanity that leads her to strike out as a hero on her own, helping the Skrulls find a new home in the vastness of space. Having spent so much time being told by the Kree that the Skrulls were the enemy, it’s Carol’s humanity (as well as the realization she’s been lied to and used by the Kree for the previous six years) that lets her see their true plight and step up to help right a huge wrong.

In many ways, the scene marks Carol’s true transformation into a hero and with Quinones’ cover being one of the best out there (you can see where it made our list here) it makes for a brilliant reference.

What was your favorite moment in Captain Marvel? Let us know in the comments below or hit me up on Twitter @lifeinpolaroid!

Captain Marvel is in theaters now.

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