(CNN) -- Very few people outside of comic book store regulars knew what "Guardians of the Galaxy" was before this past summer, and yet it's now the biggest movie of 2014 so far. Marvel hopes to continue that astounding success for years to come. So when the studio announced its movie slate through 2019, there were character names and terms used that might be unfamiliar to a lot of moviegoers. But never fear -- we're here to explain. 'Captain Marvel' Set for July 6, 2018, the movie about Carol Danvers' cosmic alter ego caused a lot of excitement on social media, especially among fans who feel that female comic book characters have gotten short shrift on the big screen (something which rival DC Comics recently addressed by announcing a "Wonder Woman" movie).

Marvel's version of
Captain Marvel was originally an alien officer, and the name has been transferred to multiple characters over the years.