It's generally believed that Jude Law will be playing the Kree warrior Mar-Vell in Captain Marvel. But could he actually be the film's surprise villain - Mar-Vell's greatest nemesis, Yon-Rogg?
In November last year, Jude Law was reported to be in talks to play the male lead in Captain Marvel, and was originally said to be playing the part of Doctor Walter Lawson, a.k.a. Mar-Vell, Carol Danvers' mentor. In the comics, Mar-Vell was the first Captain Marvel, and Carol took on the codename in his honor.
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However, it's increasingly looking as though Jude Law is playing a very different character, and the most natural candidate would be Yon-Rogg, another Kree warrior who's served as a villain. Here, we'll look at all the evidence, and consider what this could mean for the plot of Captain Marvel.
- This Page: Why Jude Law Could Be Playing Yon-Rogg
- Page 2: What Does This Mean For Mar-Vell?
Jude Law May Not Be Mar-Vell After All
Although there were initial reports Law was cast as Mar-Vell, it's interesting to note that they've never been officially confirmed. Shortly after he was cast, Law went to great effort to avoid a direct answer. "Yes, it’s been reported I’m playing Mar-Vell," he observed. "I’m not going to confirm or deny that." What's more, he immediately changed the subject. At the time, Law's reticence seemed odd. But, now the marketing push for Captain Marvel has finally begun, it's becoming clear that Marvel intends to be just as secretive about Law's character.
EW's first look behind the scenes of Captain Marvel carefully avoided naming the part Law's playing. All they did was confirm that, when the film begins, Carol Danvers has already left Earth behind "to join an elite Kree military team called Starforce, led by Jude Law’s enigmatic commander." That's been followed up by an interview with Law, in which EW noted that "the filmmakers declined to reveal his name." All we learned was that, like Ronan the Accuser, Law's character is a devout warrior with a deep-rooted "belief in the divine leadership of the Kree people."
There's no reason Marvel would be so secretive if Law really was playing the Kree hero Mar-Vell. Law has been associated with that role since last November, after all, and such studied ambiguity would be rather odd. What's more, the description doesn't sound like Mar-Vell at all. In the comics, Mar-Vell betrayed his race in order to side with humanity.
Related: Captain Marvel Brings Starforce To The MCU - Here Are All 7 Members
All Evidence Suggests Jude Law Is Playing Yon-Rogg
So, if Mar-Vell isn't the leader of the Kree Starforce, who is? There aren't too many prominent Kree characters in the comics - certainly none you'd expect to be significant enough to be the male lead in a Marvel blockbuster. Top of the list is a villain called Yon-Rogg, created by Stan Lee and Gene Colan back in 1967. Yon-Rogg was Mar-Vell's greatest nemesis, commander of the Kree expedition that brought the aliens to Earth. The warrior hated Mar-Vell passionately, jealous of the relationship between Mar-Vell and the Kree medic Una.
Yon-Rogg was part of a sinister conspiracy to overthrow the Supreme Intelligence, the leader of the Kree race. He and his co-conspirator, Ronan the Accuser, hoped to take control of the Kree and lead them back to their warlike ways. Mar-Vell became an obstacle to those plans, and they worked hard to have him killed. The escalating feud between Yon-Rogg and Mar-Vell led to Una's death, and ultimately to a final, fateful confrontation in which Yon-Rogg was apparently killed by the explosion of a device known as the Psyche-Magnetron. This same explosion irradiated the nearby Carol Danvers with Kree energy, granting her superhuman powers.
There's certainly strong evidence that Law is playing Yon-Rogg. With the exception of Carol Danvers, every other member of the Kree Starforce is traditionally a villain. That suggests their mysterious commander will probably be one as well, and Yon-Rogg - a commander in the Kree military who worked closely with Ronan - is the obvious candidate. We already know that Ronan believes passionately in the ancient, warlike ways of his race, and the quotes from Law suggest that his character has similar views. Presumably the two are united in their vision of a renewed, warlike Kree Empire; they may even be conspiring against the Kree leadership, just as in the comics.
Page 2 of 2: What Does This Mean For Mar-Vell?
What Yon-Rogg Reveals About Captain Marvel's Plot
Marvel has already confirmed that the plot of Captain Marvel is inspired by the Kree-Skrull War. Considered by critics to be one of the best comic book arcs of all time, The Kree-Skrull War saw writer Roy Thomas launch an arc in which Earth was caught in the crossfire between two warring alien races. In an afterword for the omnibus edition, Thomas admitted the arc was inspired by the Second World War. He envisioned the Kree and the Skrulls as two "rapacious, galaxy-spanning races" who were locked in war, "and that their conflict would be threatening to spill over onto the Earth, turning our planet into the cosmic equivalent of some Pacific island during World War II." Thomas avoided treating either side as heroes, instead portraying both races as equally monstrous.
Assuming this theory is correct, the same will be true in Captain Marvel. The Kree Starforce aren't the heroes; they're another villain. Carol Danvers is a sheep among wolves - a hero who's unwittingly allied with an alien military unit who are not to be trusted. Themes of treachery and betrayal become central to the film's narrative, appropriate when one of the alien races involved in the conflict are shapeshifters. It's only when Carol Danvers returns to Earth, and allies with S.H.I.E.L.D. desk jockey Nick Fury and the young Phil Coulson, that Carol truly gains allies.
Related: Starforce Explains Why Captain Marvel's Costume Is Green
Ben Mendelsohn has been confirmed to play Talos, leader of the Skrulls who have launched an invasion of Earth. Curiously enough, in the comics Ronan and Talos have actually teamed up on occasion. It's entirely possible the entire conflict on Earth is a conspiracy, an attempt to reignite the war between these two races.
What About Mar-Vell?
EW's first look has revealed that Captain Marvel isn't an origin story at all. The plot kicks off with Carol already a member of the Kree Starforce, and already a powerful warrior in her own right. Given that's the case, it's important to note that Marvel may not introduce the character of Mar-Vell at all. That doesn't mean he won't be relevant, of course; EW's synopsis suggests Carol will return to Earth and learn previously-concealed secrets behind how she got her powers in the first place. That could well include discovering the fate of Mar-Vell.
Back in 2016, Captain Marvel co-writer Nicole Perlman expressed concern about the parallels between the origin stories of Green Lantern and Captain Marvel. That initially struck comic book readers as rather strange, but perhaps her worries were justified; imagine a scenario where Carol Danvers gained her powers because the strange alien Mar-Vell had died in her presence, perhaps even inheriting his Nega-Bands. Conceptually, that's very similar to how Hal Jordan gained his Power Ring. But by avoiding telling the origin, instead having Carol investigate it - perhaps learning that Mar-Vell had really been targeted by Yon-Rogg and Ronan - Marvel dodge the parallels.
We can't say for certain that Marvel will indeed take this approach. It's equally possible that Mar-Vell could be alluded to, but saved as a character for a later date. Whatever the truth about Mar-Vell, though, it's looking less and less likely that he'll be played by Jude Law.
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