MILD SPOILERS FOR CAPTAIN MARVEL (2019).
Captain Marvel's theatrical debut this weekend marks the MCU's first female-led movie, and with an impressive $153m domestic opening and a $455m gross worldwide, its success proves, to nobody's surprise, that stories starring non-conventional protagonists can sell. Time and time again, box office juggernauts in the likes of Crazy Rich Asians and Marvel's own Black Panther last year have proven that diverse stories are not only marketable, but necessary for the future. Representation is a hugely important idea, in that people who historically have been erased and shunned within society can finally see themselves be celebrated and praised in media, breaking down stereotypes and inspiring future generations to come.
As an avid Marvel fan - not only that, but as a bisexual Chinese woman in a fanbase whose loudest and often judgiest voices are those of straight white men - I should be excited about Captain Marvel's success. And honestly, genuinely from the bottom of my heart, I am. But I cannot ignore the problems with Captain Marvel's so-called "diversity" - problems that are rooted in the MCU as a whole.
