The Marvels , you know that new superhero movie

[Eldan]

I mean . . . did we really? To me, MCU Captain Marvel felt less like Captain America and more like knockoff Superman, just without the weakness to Kryptonite, or the unshakeable decency, or the focus on moral constraints . . . so, you know, all the things that make Superman stories actually interesting. Was anyone really THAT excited about a rather bland "flying brick" type punching her way through yet another army of faceless alien mooks before punching out their forgettable alien boss?

I think that's actually the problem with lacking a Captain Marvel 2.

At the end of Captain Marvel 1, we've established what Carol Denvers no longer is. She's no longer Mar-vell, Kree soldier. She's liberated herself and freed the Kree. But it doesn't actually develop what she will do next.

That should have immediately be followed up by a Captain Marvel 2, where Carol Denvers is trying to find out what to do next. We know what she isn't, but we haven't really established what she is now. What her intention and motivation is other than "fight Kree" (done), protect Earth (ongoing, but not very interesting) and help the Skrull (seems to be mostly failing).

The Marvels could have been that movie, if it had just allowed a bit more time in the beginning and end to establish a character arc for Carol. Like, if she actually decide to help the Kree rebuild more in the end rather than just punch their sun. Could have worked: she doens't want to work for their military regime and destroyed that, but she still feels connected to the Kree and wants to help them rebuild into something peaceful. Or she still feels guilty over hastily destroying the supreme intelligence and plunging them into civil war, so now needs to find some new purpose elsewhere. Also hinted at in this movie, but not developed enough.