“A new Captain arrives,” declares a freshly posted video on the Marvel Studios Instagram, before the MCU’s most powerful hero punches her way through the screen and into the cosmos. With Carol Danvers’ MCU debut just one week away from reaching cinemas, the studio’s social media activity has been all Captain Marvel as of late, and with this new upload, the promotion is starting to get pretty meta.
Naturally, the above quote is an implicit nod to Captain America, who’s widely predicted to be bowing out of the franchise after Avengers: Endgame. With Carol expected to become the new face of the MCU, we can assume the Russo Brothers’ next release will serve in part as a passing of the torch.
But before the new Cap crosses paths with the old Cap, Carol will first be going solo for Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s upcoming film. So far, despite some backlash from certain vocal corners of the internet, things are looking very promising for Captain Marvel’s first weekend. Fandango, for instance, reported more than two weeks in advance of the movie’s release that it had already surpassed the presales of Aquaman and Wonder Woman, while IMAX presales are currently tracking ahead of Thor: Ragnarok.
As for opening weekend projections, Researcher Exhibitor Relations has forecast an impressive $118 million haul domestically, while Box Office Pro has gone as far as to predict a total of $160 million in Captain Marvel’s first three days. The reception from early viewers also bodes well, with the movie receiving a glowing response via Twitter when the social media embargo lifted last month. The real test, however, comes when the film hits theaters on March 8th.
