Entertainment

How ‘Captain Marvel’ Ending Sets-Up ‘Avengers: Endgame’

Hint: You're going to want to stay for after the credits.

Updated: 
Originally Published: 

Captain Marvel, the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, comes to theaters this weekend and while the movie is an absolute thrill ride on its own, fans of Marvel will naturally be curious about how it connects to the larger MCU, specifically the upcoming and highly-anticipated Avengers: Endgame. So is Captain Marvel function as a standalone adventure or does it provide crucial context for the fourth Avenger film? We have an answer and hint: You’re going to want to stay for after the credits.

Warning: Major Captain Marvel spoilers are featured in this article so if you are hoping to walk in blind, stop reading.

At the end of Captain Marvel, which is set in 1995, Carol Danvers (aka Captain Marvel) agrees to leave earth to help the Skrulls (a shape-shifting alien race) find a new home in a universe where they will no longer be hunted by the Kree Empire. Before she leaves, she gives Fury a pager that can reach her in case of major emergencies (the same pager Fury activates before he disintegrates at the end of Infinity War).

Then, during the mid-credits scene, we see Captain America, Black Widow, Bruce Banner, and War Machine in a S.H.I.E.L.D. hideout wondering about the pager after the events of Infinity War, as it appears Fury never told anyone about his ability to contact Captain Marvel. The group is concerned that the pager may be losing power but just as they’re trying to figure out how to ensure it stays alive, Captain Marvel appears and asks where Fury is.

What exactly does this ending mean? It won’t be entirely clear until Endgame comes to theaters but it’s pretty clear that Danvers is going to play a massive role in saving the universe from Thanos’ extreme version of population control. Given the massive scope of Captain Marvel’s powers, don’t be surprised if her seeming ability to travel through dimensions (and possibly time?) allows her to play an essential role in bringing back Spider-Man, Black Panther, and everyone else who was callously snapped out of existence (which is approximately half the planet).

Captain Marvel comes to theaters March 8.

This article was originally published on