Who Is Jude Law's 'Captain Marvel' Character? We Investigate

Tickets for Captain Marvel went on sale last night. As has become customary, Disney released a trailer during a sportsball game to trumpet it. The new 90-second look at the film is being billed as a "Special Look" at the film, rather than a traditional trailer, suggesting Disney has plans to drop at least one more theatrical trailer before March. But the "Special Look" gives more insight into the characters besides Carol Danvers, including both Nick Fury and the still not-officially announced part being played by Jude Law. So who is Jude Law's Captain Marvel character?

From the time he was cast, fans have believed the answer is Captain Mar-Vell. This may seem a little odd, Captain Mar-Vell and Captain Marvel in the same movie? It has to do with how Carol Danvers came to land the title back in the day.

Unlike the DC Comics universe, Marvel didn't have a Wonder Woman-like character in their arsenal from early on. Like most comic book superheroes, the women who became leads in their own series were as the female versions of already established male characters. Spider-Man begat Spider-Girl, Hulk begat She-Hulk, etc. There were a few characters developed independently, like Jessica Jones or The Wasp, but they were mostly "girlfriends of other male superheroes."

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Carol Danvers is no exception. The original Captain Marvel (styled Mar-Vell) was a man, a Kree in disguise, saving the planet when needed. Danvers was his earthling sidekick/love interest. But the comic trailed off around the turn of the decade as the 80s rolled in, and the character fell to the wayside.

When Marvel decided to resurrect the comics in the 1990s, it changed the lead to Danvers, naming her "Ms. Marvel," made a half Kree half-human hybrid when an explosion killed the original Captain Mar-Vell. Now, the film has obviously taken liberties with this origin story and upped her directly to Captain. But having a male Captain Mar-Vell as her mentor would make sense, and honor the original comics.


Around the time of the second trailer back in November, rumors had started to surface Law playing Mar-Vell was actually a misdirection. After a Q&A with Law over at Entertainment Weekly, some speculated Law was really playing the man who caused the explosion that killed Mar-Vell and turns Danvers into a half-Kree, Yon-Rogg. The second trailer also showed Law's character negging on Danvers, suggesting he was someone secretly trying to pull her down.

But over Christmas, someone accidentally gave the game away. In an upload of official images from the film, a picture was captioned as "Jude Law as Mar-Vell, the leader of Starforce." The caption was shortly changed thereafter, and if one visits the website now the picture now reads "Leader of the Starforce." But the internet is forever.

Moreover, the new trailer shows a character who comes across as far more of a mentor to Carol, as the first Captain Mar-Vell was.

Captain Marvel arrives in theaters on Friday, March 8, 2019. Tickets are on sale now.