Powerful female superhero story has some violence, language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
some
Guns are used; most weapons are of the fantasy/space variety, like a laser scepter and photon blasts. A young woman punches what appears to be an old woman (it's not). Minimal blood is shown (usually blue alien blood). All deaths are those of aliens. Lots of fistfights, including throwing people against walls, blasting them away. Explosions/destruction. A fierce monster has the appearance of something much tamer.
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A pilot uses word "cockpit" to imply male dominance. Other words include "s--t," "s--thole," "hell," "ass," and "oh my God." One use of "mother-Flerken."
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Camaro mentioned positively, Magee's Donuts shown in background. Scene in bar features neon signs of beer brands, including Budweiser, Pabst, Miller High Life. Set in 1995, now-defunct brands of that era (like Radio Shack) are used to reflect that, often comically. Lots of off-screen Marvel tie-in products.
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
very little
One scene takes place in a bar with signage identifying brands, but no actual drinks are ever seen.
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Many positive messages: You're stronger than you think. Know your enemy: It might just be you. Don't fight wars, end them. Other takeaways are about the strength and power of women and female friendship. Themes of perseverance, integrity.
Positive Role Models
a lot
Women like Carol, Dr. Wendy Lawson, and Carol's best friend, Maria, are strong, courageous, and fierce. Agent Fury has trouble believing Carol at first but quickly throws his support behind her after seeing firsthand that aliens exist and superheroes are needed to combat them. Villains are standard fare for a comic book movie, two-dimensional and power hungry.
Diverse Representations
some
Captain Marvel is the MCU's first film to star a female superhero, Carol Danvers (Brie Larson). Behind the lens, filmmakers are gender-balanced, including female filmmakers Anna Boden (co-director) and Geneva Robertson-Dworet (co-writer). Positive supporting female characters include Carol's mentor, Dr. Wendy Lawson (Annette Bening), and best friend, Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch). Black characters such as Maria (Lynch is British Jamaican) and a young Agent Fury (Black actor Samuel L. Jackson) have positive supporting roles, though Maria does exist solely to help the film's White lead. Crowds and background characters are racially diverse. There's also age diversity, ranging from Maria's daughter as a 5-year-old in flashbacks plus several scenes at age 11, to Bening's Dr. Lawson, who's over 60.
Parents need to know that Captain Marvel is the first female-led superhero movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's an Avengers prequel, telling the story of how Air Force pilot Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) becomes Captain Marvel, one of the most powerful superheroes ever. While there's plenty of action violence (including guns/weapons), most of it is of a sci-fi/fantasy nature. There's also a bit of swearing, with "s--t" being the strongest word used. The film offers several positive messages related to perseverance, integrity, and more, but the greatest takeaway is watching a fearless, confident, mighty woman become a superhero. Carol is a fantastic role model: She always sees herself as capable, she's not objectified, male counterparts recognize her intelligence and strength, and she has a strong sense of integrity. Women support women, the characters are diverse, ageism is nonexistent, and romance doesn't figure into things at all. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
Barely any violence and barely any swearing maybe once or twice in the whole movie
What's the Story?
CAPTAIN MARVEL's origin story begins as Kree warrior Vers (Brie Larson) visits Earth on a mission to stop a shape-shifting alien infiltration. She teams up with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) to save the planet from a war between two alien races. As she regains lost memories, she realizes the extent of her own powers and develops into the universe's most powerful superhero.
This superhero flick is basic but still engrossing, enthralling, and rewarding on many levels, just one of which is seeing Marvel's first female superhero get her own movie. Captain Marvel is fairly paint-by-the-numbers, but that doesn't lessen its powerful impact. It's an Avengers origin story, as well as the story of Captain Marvel herself, which doubles the glee, especially in the introduction of a young Nick Fury. Captain Marvel has Captain America-level humor, while keeping the themes simple and the action frequent. One of the Avengers franchise's strongest story elements has been encouraging audiences to look at a situation from multiple perspectives -- this film continues in that tradition by embracing a perspective shift.
Carol Danvers is a great heroine: She's Katniss Everdeen without the self-doubt, Wonder Woman without the sexualization, and Black Widow without the moral conflicts. With an everywoman charm, Larson quickly convinces viewers that she's the right woman to be Marvel's most powerful superhero: Kids everywhere can see themselves in her.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about women's roles in comics and superhero films. What makes Carol Danvers a role model in Captain Marvel? How does she compare to other female superheroes? How is she portrayed compared to other Avengers?
Captain Marvel stands out among Avengers movies (and most superhero movies) in that women hold significant filmmaker roles: writing, directing, producing, and editing. Why is it important that women have a hand in making big, popular movies? What's a potential consequence when men tell a story about women? What's the potential consequence when the majority of films come only from one gender?
How does Captain Marvel embody courage, perseverance, and integrity? Why are those important character strengths? Even though she's powerful enough to be a one-woman show, why do you think she still invites teamwork?
How does Carol's perspective change on the war she's fighting for the Kree? Do you think "bad guys" think they're bad? How do you determine what's right?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Tara McNamara
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
