How Marvel’s Original Captain Marvel Plan Would Have Changed The Post-2011 MCU

Before her debut in 2019’s Captain Marvel, Marvel Studios initially had a very different plan in mind for Carol Danvers which would have changed the MCU completely for a variety of different reasons. Captain Marvel has since become one of the more important characters in the MCU from inspiring Nick Fury to form the Avengers to aiding in Thanos’ defeat during Avengers: Endgame and her future endeavors in the Multiverse Saga. This all stemmed from her introduction to the franchise in Captain Marvel which was set in the 1990s in-universe and detailed her origin story.

However, despite this debut, Marvel Studios had a drastically altered plan in mind for the character of Carol Danvers. Initially, Marvel was planning to create a Jessica Jones TV show featuring Captain Marvel in 2011. Given what is known in the MCU, this did not come to fruition, instead spawning two separate projects: Netflix’s Jessica Jones and Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel. That said, it is interesting to explore how this original plan would have altered the MCU should Carol Danvers have been introduced eight years before her actual Marvel debut.

Captain Marvel Being Introduced 8 Years Before Her MCU Movie Debut Changes Its Focus

Firstly, if Marvel had introduced Carol Danvers in a Jessica Jones TV show, the entire focus of her character would have been shifted. Rather than be introduced as a core hero to the MCU as she was in Captain Marvel and subsequent appearances, she would instead have been featured as a supporting character initially. Less focus would have been pinned on outlining Captain Marvel’s origin story, instead having her as a side character in Jessica Jones’ originally planned journey before going on to bigger things.

While the canceled show likely still would have detailed Captain Marvel’s origin to some degree, it would not have been the focus of the installment. Instead, Captain Marvel would have been introduced like MCU characters such as Scarlet Witch or Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron with their origin being loosely explained though with more focus being given to the main story of the project before being detailed to a greater extent in future stories. All of this would have been applied to Captain Marvel if she had been introduced in 2011 with the canceled series rather than Captain Marvel in 2019.

The MCU May Have Introduced Its Netflix Characters Earlier (& Differently)

Another element of the MCU that would have changed if Captain Marvel’s debut had come earlier was the Netflix Marvel characters. As is known, Jessica Jones was eventually introduced via Netflix’s Defenders timeline of the Marvel universe alongside characters like Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Punisher. However, if the canceled Jessica Jones series had come earlier in 2011, these other Netflix characters would likely have been introduced much earlier.

Furthermore, the way these characters would have been utilized likely would have been much different. By introducing Jessica Jones so early in the MCU and having her tied to major Marvel characters like Captain Marvel, she likely would have been the focal point of this group of characters as opposed to Daredevil as was the case in the Netflix shows. Jessica Jones’ importance to the overall MCU would probably have meant the same for Luke Cage too given that he was originally intended to be part of the show alongside Carol Danvers which would have drastically changed the dynamic of the Defenders that the MCU ended up introducing through Netflix.

The MCU’s History Would’ve Needed 2 Major Changes

Concerning what would have changed regarding wider MCU history should Captain Marvel have been introduced earlier, two major alterations would be needed. In 2019’s Captain Marvel, two big pieces of MCU history were given explanations. In the film, Nick Fury was shown to befriend Carol Danvers in the 1990s which greatly impacted the early moments of his character in the MCU. As such, two big reveals about MCU history were provided in Captain Marvel thanks to the inclusion of Nick Fury.

The first of these reveals concerned the name of the Avengers in the future. At the end of Captain Marvel, Fury is shown viewing an image of Carol during her time with the U.S. Air Force. In the image, her call sign is listed as “Captain Carol ‘Avenger’ Danvers.” This inspires Fury’s creation of the Avengers Initiative which the superspy was responsible for enacting when Loki invaded Earth in 2012’s The Avengers. Fury’s relationship with Carol retroactively led to the MCU team taking on the name of the Avengers, something that would have changed if Carol had been introduced earlier.

In the original plan for Captain Marvel, Carol’s origin story would not have taken place in the 1990s meaning she would never have met Nick Fury that early and this element of MCU history would have been changed. Stemming from her and Fury not meeting in the original plan for Captain Marvel, the explanation of how Fury lost his eye would similarly need changing. In Captain Marvel, Carol’s Flerken-cat Goose scratches out Fury’s eye in the 1990s which leads to his iconic eyepatch decades later. If the two had never met in the 90s, this would need another explanation as would the naming of the Avengers Initiative.

Captain Marvel’s MCU Arc Would’ve Looked Way Sadder

Assuming that Captain Marvel’s MCU arc remained similar to what it did after her origin story, the original plan for Carol’s introduction would have made this much sadder. In the MCU, Carol’s emotional arc centered on her being taken from Earth in the 1990s and brainwashed by the Kree, only to return to Earth and find out that she had a life before her time as Vers. However, the emotional impact of this story was blunted somewhat given that Captain Marvel only focused on her Earth-based life in brief flashbacks rather than a fully fleshed-out story.

However, if the canceled Jessica Jones TV show had gone ahead, it is likely that Carol’s pre-space story would have been focused on to a greater extent. Rather than being shown in flashbacks to minimal effect, the Jessica Jones series could have made audiences care about the Earth-based Carol much more deeply before her origin saw her lost in space. This would have made her emotional arc hit that much harder than it did in the MCU as not only would Carol’s pre-space life have been focused on more but her relationships with other major Marvel characters like Jessica would have been divulged therefore making her absence more tragic.

Similarly, the MCU featured Carol leaving Earth in the 1990s after regaining her memory to find the Skrulls a new home. While the fallout of her absence will be showcased in The Marvels‘ story, the original plan for Carol would have also made this sadder. Again, if she had been shown on Earth to the point where audiences cared deeply for Carol, her self-imposed exile from Earth would also have been made more impactful just as her forced exile earlier would have been. All of this proves just how different the MCU would have been if Captain Marvel had not been Carol’s debut, but 2011’s canceled Jessica Jones show.