Newly revealed, low-resolution footage for The Marvels seems to indicate Carol Danvers’ new relationship status. Or does it?
Marvel Studios’ next big screen adventure comes in the form of the upcoming The Marvels. The team-up film will see Brie Larson’s titular heroine work alongside Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan to stop a powerful Kree ruler who has somehow entangled the trio’s superpowers.
At some point during the movie’s surprisingly brief runtime, Captain Marvel’s team will pay a visit to a new planet that’s yet to be seen in the MCU. where the ladies will cross paths with Prince Yan, played by Park Seo-joon.
The Marvels Footage Shows Carol Paired With Prince Yan
A new, albeit grainy, look at The Marvels was shared by X user wwmarvels. The footage originated from a promo for the film that was shown in movie theaters prior to the feature presentation.
At the 1:18 mark, Captain Marvel aka, Carol Danvers is shown walking hand-in-hand with Park Seo-joon’s Prince Yan. The scene then cuts to Monica delivering the one-word line, “Princess?!”
The implication here is that Danvers is Yan’s girlfriend or wife. However, it’s very much worth noting that there is quite a strong desire from many fans for Carol to be a lesbian in the MCU.
Speculation, as well as leaks and rumors, have pointed to Yan and Carol’s relationship actually simply being platonic and that the only reason Carol is recognized as this world’s princess was due to a communications breakdown. After all, it’s previously been indicated that the planet’s population communicates through singing.
Captain Marvel's Romantics In the MCU
Despite her seemingly confirmed status as Prince Yan’s wife, there is a sizable (and vocal) contingent of the MCU’s fanbase that longs for Carol’s queer status to be officially confirmed.
To break things down: In her very first on-screen appearance, 2019’s Captain Marvel, Danvers was not given a love interest. This is not typically the norm for most MCU heroes, particularly in their first solo movie. Tony Stark had Pepper Potts, Scott Lang had Hope Van Dyne, and so on.
Instead, Carol was portrayed as being particularly close to her Air Force buddy Maria Rambeau, Monica’s mother. Now, there’s obviously something to be said for the depiction of close, loving female friendships in movies that aren’t necessarily romantic, but nonetheless, much of the fanbase has seized upon Carol and Maria’s dynamic as being something more than friendly.
Another commonly cited aspect of Captain Marvel’s character that’s used as evidence in this argument is her hairstyle in Avengers: Endgame. While it closely mirrored certain comic book runs (where it should be pointed out, she’s straight) her short, closely-cropped locks in Endgame were labeled by LGBTQ+ fans and their allies as a bit butch.
Whether or not this was Marvel’s intent is unknown, but nonetheless, her hair did end up feeding into the idea that Carol is, in fact, a lesbian.
At the end of the day, Carol’s sexual orientation is largely inconsequential to her day-saving heroics and immense cosmic powers, but for fans, her getting confirmed as queer would be a major win in their eyes.
After all, lesbian representation in the MCU has been severely lacking thus far. And Kevin Feige promised to stand beside the introduction of LGBTQ+ heroes into the franchise.
Marvel Studios’ The Marvels arrives in theaters on Friday, November 10.
