Avengers: Infinity War left the Marvel universe in a dire state that suggested Earth’s Mightiest Heroes will have their work cut out for them in the upcoming Avengers: Endgame, but with Captain Marvel on their side, part of you may wonder if the odds are actually too much in favor of the good guys.
After all, this a character who’s been consistently hyped up as the MCU’s most powerful superhero to date. Last year, Brie Larson even said that Carol Danvers can “move planets,” while Samuel L. Jackson has claimed that “She’s one of the few people in the Marvel universe that can time travel.” With such incredible abilities at her disposal, you almost have to feel a little bad for Thanos, who sounds like he may not be going into a fair fight.
From here, the question is raised of how Marvel’s Phase 3 finale can maintain its stakes while incorporating this formidable newcomer into the action. But in an interview with CinemaBlend, Endgame co-director Joe Russo offered his assurance that they’ve taken into account the risk of overpowering their characters, before claiming to have found a way around this issue.
“It’s always a concern of ours about overpowering characters, because the reason that people relate to these characters is their humanity, and that they’re flawed. And the reason we love working so much with Captain America was that he was limited, and his heart was his superpower, you know? So we’re all acutely aware of the dangers of having an overly powerful character. [But] we like sensitive storytelling, so… we found a thoughtful way through it.”
It’s a little ironic that Russo mentions Captain America here, in that many were concerned in the MCU’s early years that Steve Rogers was too much of a goody-goody to make for a compelling character. Nonetheless, the Russos found a way to make him interesting with 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and according to Anthony Russo, the two of them have relished the opportunity to find the intriguing flaws in another hero who was at risk of being too perfect.
“That’s what kind of fires us up, I think, on a storytelling level, to be honest with you. Because when you do have powerful characters, you have to work that much harder to find their vulnerabilities and complexities. And Joe was mentioning on a storytelling level… and keep the stakes high! Because that’s where those characters are vulnerable. And actually, that makes for great drama, and you run in that direction. As storytellers, that’s been one of the most fun things we’ve had working with these characters is figuring out ways into them where they are vulnerable and they aren’t all powerful.”
We’ll find out what vulnerabilities the Russo Brothers have uncovered when Avengers: Endgame hits theaters on April 26th, 2019, though not before Carol makes her MCU debut when Captain Marvel comes out on March 8th.