The first blockbuster superhero film of 2019, “Captain Marvel,” made its highly anticipated release on March 8. This film is the twenty first installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). However, the buzz surrounding this film is much more intense than others, with the first trailer for the film racking up 50 million views on YouTube, while other MCU films such as the upcoming “Spider-Man: Far From Home” only received around one million views.

This is the case for many reasons, including the notable fact that Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel is set to be the first female lead in MCU history.

“I think it’s amazing,” junior Mia Thomson said. “Honestly it’s about time. There have been female Marvel characters before but having a female lead is completely different. Hopefully this will pave the way for a whole new realm of possibility for women in the Marvel universe.”

The story of Captain Marvel, an Air Force pilot turned superhero, has already become a revered symbol of female strength and empowerment. With her perceivably god-like powers, such as energy manipulation and enhanced strength, and jaunty self-confidence, her character is already an inspiration to many students at the school.

“I think [her powers] only add on to what girls might think they can do,” senior Olivia Kennett said. “I mean, I liked to relate to things I could see when I was younger, so having her be so strong and powerful gives others ideas that they can be like that.”

While Captain Marvel’s barrier-breaking character is reason enough for the excitement over the movie, some familiar faces are also reintroduced, faces that die-hard MCU fans are looking forward to seeing again. The prequel film, taking place in the ‘90s, features acclaimed actor Samuel L. Jackson reprising his role as Nick Fury. Fury has been a very frequent character in the MCU so far, and fans of the MCU are ready to see a younger version of the character appear back on the big screen after witnessing his death in “Avengers: Infinity War.”

“I feel this will expand Nick Fury’s backstory to the part of the audience who does not read the comics,” senior IB Film student Aneese Kouar said. “I think he will support and provide a sidekick character for Captain Marvel who helps her understand where she comes from.

Other deceased characters that are appearing as younger versions of themselves in “Captain Marvel” include two antagonists who audiences  met in the first Guardians of the Galaxy film: Ronan the Accuser, played by Lee Pace, and Korath the Pursuer, played by Djimon Hounsou. While these characters were villains in “Guardians of the Galaxy,” it is currently unclear what their roles will be in the upcoming prequel.

Another returning fan favorite is Agent Phil Coulson, portrayed by Clark Gregg. Coulson’s character gained immense popularity during the first years of the MCU’s existence, appearing in the first two “Iron Man” films, the first “Thor” film and 2012’s “The Avengers.” At the end he was murdered. So, Phil’s fans will get to see him in cinema for the first time in almost seven years in “Captain Marvel.”

A lot of the intrigue surrounding this movie pertains to its connections to “Avengers: Endgame,” the much-anticipated conclusion to the Avengers quadrilogy. The first sign of Captain Marvel’s existence came during the end-credit scene of “Avengers: Infinity War,” when Nick Fury sent her a message right before being killed by Thanos’ snap, causing a lot of fans to wonder how she will connect to “Avengers: Endgame.” Fans have been considering why she has not been featured in any other MCU film.

“Since this [movie] before “Endgame,” I’m thinking it’ll definitely feature a lot of her story as well as her friendship with Nick Fury, leading up to “Endgame,” senior Haoming Huang said. “[I think] the end credits are going to feature some Easter eggs too.”

The aspect of “Captain Marvel” that fans may be more excited for than anything else is the introduction of the alien race known as the Skrulls. It is clear from all previews of the film that the Skrulls will be villains in “Captain Marvel,” and they have a superpower that is raising the eyebrows of a lot of MCU fans: they can shapeshift into the form of any celestial being. This concept has a lot of people intrigued, and begs the question of whether there are characters that fans have already come to know that have actually been Skrulls the whole time.

“The Skrulls are a big part of the expanded universe,” Kouar said. “So I believe that this movie will introduce us to them as a horde of enemies with no real main villain besides the [Skrull] Empire itself. I believe they are setting [this] up so they can add to the Fantastic Four franchise, because the villain known as Super Skrull is a big enemy in the “Fantastic Four” comics.”

“Captain Marvel” is generating a lot of excitement from fans for many reasons. It will break barriers, give die-hard fans some much-desired nostalgia and completely shake the foundation of the MCU with the introduction of one of Marvel’s most powerful heroes. “I’m so excited,” Thomson said. “I love that there is finally a female lead, and based on the trailers and things that I’ve seen of the movie, it looks amazing!”