The Marvel Cinematic Universe is at its biggest crossroads since its launch with the original Iron Man 11 years ago. April's Avengers: Endgame has repeatedly been promised as the culmination of the story told across the preceding 21 films. But the film that actually stands as the most likely to set the tone for the brave, new MCU moving forward is actually Captain Marvel, coming out well over a month before Endgame.

Expectations are riding high for Captain Marvel, significantly more than the usual financial obligations involved with maintaining the success and visibility of the MCU cinematic brand overall. From a logistical standpoint, the MCU is going to need a new flagship superhero after Endgame. Most of the original Phase One actors' contracts come to an end with the fourth Avengers film, with several actors either publicly expressing their plans not to reprise their roles or aging out of their cinematic superhero careers. While the MCU post-Phase Three will feature plenty of familiar faces, at least initially, its flagship heroes in Iron Man and Captain America are likely moving on.

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Brie Larson's Captain Marvel is actively being positioned to become the biggest superhero coming out of her debut origin film, and is largely implied to be pivotal in defeating Thanos and undoing the tragic ending of Avengers: Infinity War. It's no grand coincidence that her debut will be the MCU film immediately leading into Endgame. While Black Panther and Doctor Strange will both continue to be important franchises for the MCU, both characters met their temporary demise in Infinity War, with Carol Danvers now presumably leading the charge to resurrect them. This will inevitably inform the MCU beyond Avengers: Endgame.

Described by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige as "the new face and leader of the Marvel Cinematic Universe," the MCU is slated to become a much more diverse place after Phase Three. While Feige has remained largely tight-lipped about the post-Endgame MCU, he has revealed that the studio is actively building a cinematic universe where over half its superheroes will be women. A solo Black Widow film is reportedly in development, as is an Eternals film that features cosmic female members. The most visible superhero in this new direction for the studio will be Larson's Carol Danvers.

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Fortunately for all parties involved, the upcoming film is projected to be another strong success for Marvel Studios. Advance ticket sales for Captain Marvel have already eclipsed Captain America: Civil War and are on track to outperform pre-sales for both Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War. At this pace, the movie stands to be among the biggest debut for any new property in the MCU, a record currently held by Black Panther, which opened last year to over $1.3 billion worldwide, the highest box office for any solo superhero film and the best-performing domestic film of 2018.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to enter a new stage without the support of key original cast members who helped propelled it to worldwide commercial and critical success. Black Panther, Spider-Man and Doctor Strange will all be around to help pick up the baton from Iron Man, Captain America and the Hulk, but it's Captain Marvel who will set the tone and guarantee long-term viability for the MCU without those original heroes. Already facing a world of expectations and inevitable comparisons to the DC Extended Universe's Wonder Woman, the MCU film is about to prove to audiences around the globe that there can absolutely be multiple female superheroes operating at the same time.

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In a way, Captain Marvel also sets expectations for Avengers: Endgame itself. The last MCU film to be released before the resolution to the story started by Avengers: Infinity War, the new superhero will play a pivotal role in the upcoming ensemble film with how she comes across in her solo debut, informing how audiences will approach the follow-up the month after. With the stratospheric bar set by the MCU as the gold standard in superhero films and the upcoming mass changing of the guard cast-wise, it's up to the newest MCU hero to soar above the extraordinarily elevated expectations. But if there's any hero who's completely up to the task, it's Carol Danvers.

Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck from a script they wrote with Liz Flahive, Carly Mensch, Meg LeFauve, Nicole Perlman and Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Captain Marvel stars Brie Larson as Carol Danvers, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Jude Law as the commander of Starforce, Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson, Lee Pace as Ronan the Accuser, Djimon Hounsou as Korath the Pursuer, Gemma Chan as Minn-Erva, Ben Mendelsohn as Talos, Lashana Lynch as Maria Rambeau, Algenis Perez Soto as Att-Lass, McKenna Grace as a young Carol Danvers and Annette Bening in an undisclosed role. The film arrives on March 8.