Danvers is initially depicted as a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot who was given superhuman abilities when a light-speed engine test went wrong and she was exposed to the cosmic energy of the Tesseract.

Initially loyal to the Kree Empire, she serves as a member of the Starforce in their war against the Skrulls, but eventually returns to Earth where she regains her memories.

They, along with Goose who stowed away on their ship, fly to Louisiana to meet former pilot Maria Rambeau, the last person to see Vers and Lawson alive.

Talos, arriving unarmed, explains that the Skrulls are refugees searching for a new home and that Lawson was Mar-Vell, a renegade Kree scientist helping them.

Talos plays a recovered recording from Lawson's jet, prompting Danvers to remember the crash, whereby she absorbed the energy from the ensuing explosion, gaining powers but losing her memory.

Her actions unintentionally causes Hala to lose natural resources and to undergo a civil war making her feel guilty.

[d] Danvers returns to Earth and tracks the activated pager to the Avengers Compound where she meets Natasha Romanoff, Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner, James Rhodes,[e] Rocket Raccoon, and Thor.

She is grief-stricken when informed about the Blip and joins Banner, Nebula, Rhodes, Rocket, Rogers, Romanoff, and Thor in confronting Thanos on the Garden planet.

[f] In 2023, Danvers has become a member of the Avengers under the leadership of Romanoff, involved in space missions helping to quash post-Blip chaos across the universe alongside Rocket and Nebula.

[1] Danvers originated as a comic book character in Marvel Super-Heroes #13 (March 1968) by writer Roy Thomas and artist Gene Colan.

In the story, she is an officer in the United States Air Force and Security Chief of a restricted military base, where Danvers meets Dr. Walter Lawson, the human alias of alien Kree hero Captain Marvel.

In the series, it is revealed that the energy exposure from the explosion of a device called the "Psyche-Magnetron" caused Danvers's genetic structure to meld with Captain Marvel's, effectively turning her into a human-Kree hybrid.

[7] In Uncanny X-Men series by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum, Danvers forgoes her identity as Ms. Marvel and subsequently uses the name Binary after being experimented by the alien race the Brood which gives her the ability to generate the power of a star.

[9] Writer Kurt Busiek and artist George Pérez then redefine her as Warbird as she joins the Avengers and fight against Kang the Conqueror.

[11] After her introduction, Carol Danvers was meant to be an icon of feminist movement as shown by her superhero name and being portrayed as a strong character.

[12][13] However, push-back from Marvel's then Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter instead set a precedent for stories centred on the theme of victimization, with some of her most formative arcs involving alcoholism, torture, brainwashing, identity/power theft, kidnapping, and rape.

Although not the ideal struggles expected of a hero, her tendency to bounce back from attempts to write her off and overcome traumatic experiences all the stronger became a consistent theme itself.

[14] In 2010s, Danvers eventually assumed the title Captain Marvel in the series by Kelly Sue DeConnick with a redesigned costume closer to a flight suit rather than the classic female superhero appearance.

[15] Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said Larson was cast because of her ability to balance the character's vast powers with her humanity.

[16] Due to concern that Larson (who was 26 when she was cast) was too young to portray an accomplished airman, screenwriter Nicole Perlman consulted with the U.S. Air Force, who said it was possible for someone to excel between the ages of 28 and 34.

[18][19] Larson described Danvers as a "believer in truth and justice" and a "bridge between Earth and space",[20] who must balance her unemotional Kree side with her "flawed" human half.

[18][22] She also visited Nellis Air Force Base and met with active-duty airmen, including Brigadier General Jeannie Leavitt and Thunderbirds pilot Major Stephen Del Bagno, in preparation for the role.

[28] Danvers has little screen time in the film, which McFeely reasoned as "not the story we're trying to tell—it's the original Avengers dealing with loss and coming to a conclusion, and she's the new, fresh blood.

[6] In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films, Carol received her powers from an energy exposure of an explosion when she destroyed a light-speed engine created by Mar-Vell.

Scott of The New York Times praised Carol Danvers's character, calling her a "tough and charming woman [... ] determined to fight gender clichés" who is "ready for a career of franchise clock-punching.

"[42] Amanda Finn of Ms. wrote, "When we watch Captain Marvel, we witness an incredibly strong and funny woman being told to reign in her emotions from the very start.

"[53] Kenneth Turan of Los Angeles Times praised Brie Larson's performance as Carol Danvers, calling her "luminous and powerful [...] with a knockout punch that would have daunted Muhammad Ali.

"[60] Christian Blauvelt of IndieWire also criticized the negative comments made against the character and the movie, saying that "It's fascinating that a certain, very secure, social media obsessed contingent of male fandom, empowered by being given both a platform and relative anonymity, has appeared so very threatened by Captain Marvel.

"[61] Amanda Finn of feminist magazine Ms. stated, "From the get go, Captain Marvel was going to have a hell of a time pleasing male fans, especially after the (debunked!)

"[43] Brie Larson reprises her role as Carol Danvers in the theme park attraction Avengers: Quantum Encounter on the Disney Wish cruise ship.