WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Captain Marvel, in theaters now.

In what's becoming a regular occurrence, Captain Marvel is shaping up as another commercial blockbuster that critics mostly like and audiences rush to see, but is nevertheless targeted for attack by a small, yet vocal, section of the internet. If we're to take at face value the online outrage -- manifested as review bombs, boycott hashtags and gleeful predictions of box-office failure -- the hatred of Captain Marvel, much of its cemented before its theatrical premiere, appears based in fear that its existence is a sign the Marvel Cinematic Universe is turning "political."

Of course, Marvel has always been "political." Even if we ignore the history Marvel Comics entirely, in which Stan Lee even wrote "Soapbox" columns directly expressing political opinions, and just focus on the MCU, the first film in the wildly successful franchise was 2008's Iron Man. The superhero that launched the MCU was a weapons manufacturer who was kidnapped and tortured, and then renounces his company's business dealings and goes on to take the War on Terror into his own hands and "privatize world peace."

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Alongside Iron Man, the headlining hero of the franchise's first decade has been Captain America, whose name alone puts the lie to any flimsy assertion that superheroes used to be "apolitical." If a soldier who dresses like the American flag, punches Nazis, challenges the surveillance state and becomes a fugitive from the United Nations isn't political, then nothing is.

Captain Marvel

When the outraged denounce Captain Marvel for being political, what they actually mean is "feminist." While some are flat-out opposed to Marvel Studios featuring Carol Danvers in the lead role, others make twistier claims about Captain Marvel and feminism. They say they're fine with female-led superhero and action movies (Alita: Battle Angel has been inexplicably placed into "competition" against Captain Marvel by the likes of James Woods), but that Captain Marvel is somehow too "preachy" and "radical." That's apparently due, at least in part, misinterpreting comments made by star Brie Larson about making press events more inclusive as some sort of attack against white men.

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Captain Marvel can be fairly characterized as "feminist," but it isn't "preachy" or "radical" in the slightest. Carol Danvers is certainly a heroine many women will find empowering, but her gender is far from the film's primary concern. A few scenes acknowledge the realities of sexism: a pilot at a bar crudely jokes, "It's called a cockpit for a reason," and a biker telling Carol to smile will evoke the ridiculous fuss over Brie Larson's serious expressions in the original trailer. Beyond those moments, and perhaps some subtext that can be read into Yon-Rogg's requests for Carol to suppress her emotions, there's really not much in the film that's actually about gender issues.

By contrast, Wonder Woman was much more directly about feminism. As a powerful woman raised in an all-female society, Diana dealing with the the culture shock of "Man's World" defined that film's themes. Some trolls have disingenuously called Wonder Woman an "apolitical" movie to try to contrast it with Captain Marvel, but if Wonder Woman wasn't too preachy for you, then Captain Marvel absolutely won't be.

But, of course, Captain Marvel does have some major "political" themes, but they're not about feminism.

Captain Marvel

The political side of Captain Marvel comes into play with the story of the Kree-Skrull War. At the beginning of the film, Carol, living under the identity of "Vers," is a dedicated warrior of the Kree Starforce, ready to destroy any Skrulls that cross her path. Fans familiar with the Kree and Starforce from the comics won't be surprised that she eventually discovers her group of "noble warrior heroes" isn't so noble.

What is a surprise is that the shape-shifting alien Skrulls are the good guys of this story. Whereas neither side of the Kree-Skrull War in the comics is painted in a particularly sympathetic light, the MCU Skrulls, while branded as "terrorists," are refugees simply seeking a home and an escape from the Kree's campaign of genocide. Carol eventually sides with the Skrulls, and fights against her former team. The reason she leaves Earth for 24 years is to help the Skrulls in their quest for a new home world.

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Captain Marvel is not an anti-war film (that the production relied heavily on the support of the U.S. Air Force is yet another political dimension), but it is one that demands those who fight to think critically about their missions, and to not just mindlessly accept orders. Its major messages are about maintaining skepticism of propaganda, being willing to change one's mind when presented new facts, and looking past prejudices in order to come to the aid of those in need.

Those messages are "political," but no more so than those found in Thor: Ragnarok, another MCU entry about imperialism and diaspora in which the Asgardians are, at different points in history, both conquerors and refugees. Ragnarok was so funny that many viewers didn't realize it touched on serious issues. Captain Marvel's tone is more serious, and as such its messages are likely more difficult to miss. But its politics are not preachy, nor are they so distracting that you can't enjoy the film as escapism.

Let's rid ourselves of the notion that a movie that's "political" can't also be enjoyable. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is far more direct than Captain Marvel when it comes to paralleling its political messages with the real world, and it's still one of the most beloved films in the MCU. The same for Black Panther, in which rich commentary on leadership, international policy and the black experience elevated what was already a fun superhero film into a worthy Oscar contender. With all of those examples, the message blends perfectly with the entertainment.

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 as the Supreme Intelligence.