Photo courtesy Kiran D’Souza

Marvel’s “Captain Marvel,” is more than just a win for female representation in action comic book movies and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but is a homage to the phenomenal everyday woman.

“Captain Marvel” made Marvel history with the biggest opening weekend for a female-led film.

Brie Larson plays Carol Danvers, also known as Captain Marvel. Larson co-stars with Jude Law, Gemma Chan, and Samuel L. Jackson. According to Forbes, “Captain Marvel” will top $1 billion at Box Office worldwide.

The movie, set in the 90s, finds Captain Marvel in the middle of an intergalactic war between two alien civilizations, the Kree Warriors and Skrulls. She believes that she is a Kree named Vers, but has flashbacks of herself in a different world where she is known as Carol Danvers, a pilot for the U.S. Air Force. Nick Fury, played by Jackson, helps her find the reason why she has unknown memories, while also trying to end the alien war. The look between both of these alien races is the impetus of the movie’s plot.

“Captain Marvel” truly demonstrates that anyone can do anything if they put their mind to it. The directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck explore this idea throughout the movie with unexplained flashbacks from Danvers’ childhood to when she was a pilot for the Air Force alongside her friend Maria Rambeau, played by Lashana Lynch.

Throughout the movie, Captain Marvel highlights that a woman can be both powerful and humane. Danvers is on one side kind, gentle and understanding, while on the other hand ambitious and determined. Captain Marvel’s bravery and dauntlessness in the movie is another great aspect of her character. She thinks about the people she truly cares about first and puts herself at risk to protect them.

When Maria helps to get Captain Marvel’s  memories back, they both, along with Fury, learn that the Skrulls have been oppressed by the Kree all along. Maria and Fury become endangered for learning  the truth behind the Skrull and Kree war. Her part in the war with the Kree changes, as she now attempts to stop the war by protecting the remaining Skrulls from the Kree.

The film reflects the challenges women face today as they balance career and family. For example Maria, a black woman who raised an 11-year old while serving in of the Air Force, perseveres despite adversity from the rest of the community.

The movie shows realistic female characters, which speaks to everyday women. “Captain Marvel” promotes positive depictions of strong working women, as the movie shows Carol’s journey of becoming Captain Marvel by drawing from her past and present experiences.

The overall victory of “Captain Marvel” is to show that women and girls can do anything if they put their mind and work into it. The real victory of “Captain Marvel” is its unabashed look at women’s strength both as individuals and through the support of their sisters.

Don’t get me wrong: This is a film for everyone.  Like any great Marvel movie, “Captain Marvel” has it all–action, complex plot twists, and plenty of explosions. And most of all, Marvel fans will see in Brie Larson’s character as a possible answer to the nefarious designs of Marvel’s super villain Thanos.

Game on.