However, her introduction into the MCU did not go entirely as planned and she was not welcomed by several Marvel fans. Ever since her introduction, misogynistic comments have been targeted at both Captain Marvel and Larson, with many believing that the character lacked any development or charisma. Larson’s portrayal of Danvers was referred to as subpar and hate campaigns popped up online. While Marvel hasn’t directly responded to such comments in the past, the latest episode of Disney Plus’ What If…? seems like the perfect response to all the trolls.

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Over the course of the past 11 years in the MCU, Loki has caused a lot of problems, whether it is related to his brother Thor or the universe in general. But, in the latest episode of What If…?, his absence is responsible for the latest threat that the world has to face, which is Party Thor. It might sound like an innocent scenario, but when Odin’s only son Thor arrives on Earth to throw a rager, it leads to the destruction of several of the world’s important monuments.

To make things worse, Thor invites beings from the Nine Realms to this party of a lifetime, with guests using monuments like the Statue of Liberty and the St. Louis arch as toys. The seventh What If…? episode features several cameos from returning MCU characters, including Loki (albeit in a frost giant avatar,) Howard the Duck, Drax, Nebula, Korg, the Grandmaster, and many others. All of them contribute to creating a mess around different countries in the world.

When Jane Foster arrives at the party, viewers would hope that she would be the voice of reason. But, instead of stopping Thor from his frivolous ways, Foster ends up joining in on the fun, and even invites some of the guests back to her apartment. Her partner Darcy Lewis, who was last seen in WandaVision, ends up having a shotgun wedding to Howard the Duck.

Things aren’t obviously looking up at this point, and acting director of S.H.I.E.L.D Maria Hill is forced to reach out to Captain Marvel for help. Similar to the MCU films, a 90s pager is used to call her, and soon after the popular character arrives on Earth to end Thor’s party.

What starts off as a civil conversation soon turns into a full-blown fight. The two heroes battle it out across the world, with Captain Marvel throwing solid punches and Thor using his hammer. Their fight begins in Las Vegas, but then moves on to the Stonehenge, the Mojave Desert, and all the way to Siberia. They even destroy several landmarks along the way.

It is important to note that Captain Marvel puts on a great fight against Thor, who happens to be a god and has access to a variety of Asgardian powers. Throughout the fight scene, she seems to be an equal opponent, and at times even turns out looking like the more powerful one. At one point in their fight, she is able to withstand the power of Thor’s hammer Mjolnir without flinching. This shows her true strength and only goes on to confirm the fact that she is in fact one of the most powerful Avengers. This is a piece of information that is mentioned in the comics, and it was marvelous to see it play out in What If…?

Even though she is not the clear winner of the fight, it is implied that if she were to unleash her true strength, which equates to nuclear power, she would be able to defeat Thor, and potentially destroy half the planet while she was at it. So, throughout the fight, she holds herself back. Imagine how powerful her punches would be had she used all her superhuman strength.

When Captain Marvel was released back in 2019, the character received a lot of hate on social media. Many trolls posted misogynistic comments about how a female hero would not be able to stand on her own. In the film, the character does participate in a war and her mighty powers are put on display. But, even that wasn’t enough to convince fans of her relevance in the MCU. Many called her out for not having any character development, and a lot of sexist feedback started to pour in.

Brie Larson, who portrayed the role of Captain Marvel in the film, received a lot of hate from fans, too. Many thought that her portrayal of the character lacked charisma and that she didn’t smile enough. At the time of release, fans suggested other female actors who could have played the role better. Some names that were frequently used were Jennifer Lawrence, Blake Lively, Emilia Clarke, who has joined Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion, among others, with fans believing that any of these actors could do better justice to the portrayal of Carol Danvers.

When Captain Marvel was introduced into the MCU, many assumed that she would be given the important task of defeating Thanos. However, her role in the final battle, as part of 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, was quite disappointing to many. Some fans blamed the writing team, while others dumped all their hate on the character and Larson once again. They even started hate campaigns on social media to have Larson removed from the role of Captain Marvel, and called Marvel out for giving the character an important position.

However, with the latest episode of What If…?, Marvel hits back at all these trolls and keyboard warriors. The episode puts Captain Marvel’s true powers on display, and puts her up against one of the most loved characters in the MCU. Not only does she turn out to be a worthy opponent for the God of Thunder, but is probably one of the few individuals in the MCU who was able to take a shot from Thor’s hammer and not even blink.

After Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame were released, many disagreed with the fact that the Danvers was in fact one of the most powerful Avengers. But, seeing her almost defeat Thor in What If…?, which fans should remember is MCU canon, leaves no doubt that Captain Marvel could kick some serious butt if the need ever arises in the MCU again. The episode even has Thor saying the words “smile a little” to Captain Marvel, which is a direct clap back to all the misogynistic trolls.

With both Tony Stark and Steve Rogers gone, many have wondered who could potentially lead the Avengers in the future. Seeing Thor and Captain Marvel battle it out in the latest episode of What If…? could be Marvel’s way of showing that the two characters are both equally powerful and capable of leading the team. Captain Marvel even shows up in the post-credits scene in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in a leadership capacity, as she is seen welcoming Shang-Chi and Katy into the fold. Could she be the next leader of the Avengers? Time will tell.

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