So both Shazam and Captain Marvel are getting movies. But you thought they were the same person. Well, they were. But they're not anymore, they are different characters in different universes. No, Shazam isn't the true Captain Marvel, he was just the first. But not Marvel's first. And no the girl one isn't Marvel's first either. Ugh. You seem confused. Alright, here are the Three Captain Marvels That Actually Matter.
DC's Captain Marvel (1939)
Billy Watson was given the power of a Greek pantheon by an old wizard named Shazam, and when Billy shouts the wizard's name, he grows to the peak of his adulthood and is equip with miraculous powers! He becomes Captain Marvel! The character of Billy Batson was originally created and published by Fawcett Comics, until a lawsuit from DC Comics prevented new Captain Marvel stories from being written. The lawsuit was on the basis that Captain Marvel was all to similar to DC's Man of Steel. After the lawsuit went through, Marvel Comics realized the name "Captain Marvel" wasn't being used and decided to create a Captain Marvel of their own to end confusion over who published the character.
Meanwhile, DC Comics would eventually absorb Fawcett Comics and it's characters, meaning Captain Marvel/Billy Batson could return as a member of the DC Universe. While his book was titled "Shazam" or "The Power of Shazam", Billy kept using the name Captain Marvel for the next three decades, meaning when the character appeared in cartoons and animated movies, he'd still be known as Captain Marvel. This, of course, continued to confuse non-comic readers who didn't know the history of the name.
In 2011, as part of the New 52, Billy Batson's superhero persona was officially renamed "Shazam" to lineup with his catchphrase. Geoff Johns adjusted the origin, how his powers work, and integrated him into The Justice League. From then on, Billy would appear as "Shazam" in cartoons and animated movies, and will be known solely as Shazam in his upcoming film.
Marvel's First Captain Marvel (1967)
Captain Mar-Vell was a member of the Kree, an alien race who sought to invade Earth secretly. Mar-Vell took a human disguise while on Earth and fell in love with it's people. He rebelled against his comrades and defended Earth as Captain Marvel. Captain Mar-Vell only exists to avoid confusion. When people hear the name "Captain Marvel", they should think of him/her as a character owned by Marvel Comics. However, the existence of Billy Batson/Captain Marvel prevented that. So when Billy disappeared, Marvel Comics took the chance to put their stamp on the name.
Captain Mar-Vell would eventually die of cancer, and his title would be taken by many other characters including his son and daughter. Finally in 2010, his longtime ally Carol Danvers/Ms. Marvel took the mantle and became Captain Marvel.
Captain Mar-Vell has returned briefly from death, and has appeared in a few cartoons, but is mostly remembered as the catalyst for Carol becoming a superhero. Mar-Vell will appear in the upcoming "Captain Marvel" film.
Marvel's Current Captain Marvel (1968)
Carol Danvers was an member of The U.S. Air Force, but after meeting and building a relationship with Mar-Vell, she was infused with Kree DNA as a result of an alien device exploding. Afterwards, she discovered she had all of Mar-Vell's powers. Deciding to strike out on her own as a hero, she became Ms. Marvel. Carol's early history is a unique one. She began working as a writer for a pro-women magazine and took the moniker "Ms." as it reflected the rise in female empowerment. "Ms." was title forged from the lack of a term for a single woman. Married women had "Miss", but men were known as "Mr." whether they were married or not, meaning you could identify a committed woman, but a man's title made it ambiguous.
While her early stories put a feministic stamp on the superhero genre, later stories showed Marvel writers didn't know what to do with her. While Ms. Marvel became an Avenger and became more popular than her male counterpart, her life began to fall apart after an Avengers story where she was impregnated and had no memory of it. This led to her giving birth to the man who got her pregnant and then him hypnotizing her into being with him romantically. In the 1990's, Carol's powers were stolen by the X-Men Rogue, and she slid into an alcohol addiction.
When Carol became Captain Marvel it was part of Marvel's mission to have a "Wonder Women"-like figure for their universe, but they couldn't have it be an X-Men or member of The Fantastic Four due to their movie rights belonging to 20th Century Fox. They wanted a powerful, assertive female hero who'd be perfect to star in a movie. And by replacing the moniker "Ms." with "Captain", they felt Carol Danvers became independent of Mar-Vell's history.
Carol has had the most pop culture exposure of any Captain Marvel, she has starred in cartoons and video games and will be the focus of the upcoming "Captain Marvel" film. However, her recent title change has not helped erase her past, and in some cases has only recreated the controversy around her character. While she used to be a celebrated feminist superhero, the identity of feminist culture has changed in modern culture which makes her appearance and attitude discomforting to less educated fans. In addition, the mishandling of her character continues as she was the unintentional antagonist of the recent "Civil War II" event. For as much as Marvel Comics wants Carol to be their Wonder Woman, their habit of trying too hard has made the character harder to enjoy for their readers.
Hopefully that squares things off! Thanks for reading!
Who is your favorite Captain Marvel!?
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