Brie Larson as Captain Marvel in new poster

Captain Marvel Takes on Toxic Masculinity in New Deleted Scene

Don't tell her to smile.
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Captain Marvel may still be lingering in theaters, but if you want to watch it from the comfort of your own couch, good news! The film is coming to digital download May 28th, and the Blu-ray will be released on June 11th. The Blu-ray comes with six deleted scenes and plenty of bonus featurettes and behind-the-scenes content.

We’ve already seen a very cute deleted scene of Carol, Yon-Rogg and some baby Kree recruits. The scene is charming, but doesn’t give us much new information beyond what we already know.

However, the newly released scene “What, No Smile?” delivers exactly what we want from Captain Marvel, namely Carol kicking ass and taking down the patriarchy. The scene is extended to reveal what happens between the biker asking her to smile and Carol making off with his bike.

We meet the biker, who calls himself “The Don”, repeatedly ask Carol smile and offer her a ride on his bike. She offers him a superpowered handshake, which quickly brings the creep to his knees. “Here’s a proposition for you: you’re going to give me your jacket, your helmet, and your motorcyle, and in return I’m going to let you keep your hand.” After The Don acquiesces, Carol asks “what, no smile?” as he runs off.

Given that the scene is barely a minute long yet so satisfying, it’s surprising that it ended up on the cutting room floor. Frankly, I would watch two hours of Carol just slapping around gross dudes, but maybe I’m biased. Part of the appeal of a female superhero is seeing her answer everyday acts of sexism and harassment with superpowered aplomb. It’s wish fulfillment that every woman can get behind.

Marvel also released a second deleted scene, “Heading to Torfa” which captures some banter between the Starforce members.

The scene doesn’t deliver much in the way of exposition, just the team reminding Carol to keep herself stealthy and restrained. Minn-Erva calls her “twinkle-fists”, but that’s about it. The Starforce members are pretty thinly drawn in the film, and it did feel like a letdown to cast Gemma Chan for barely a few moments of screentime. Given the character’s presence and history in the comics, it’s disappointing that she won’t have a larger life in the MCU.

Other deleted scenes (that have yet to be released) include Yon-Rogg meeting with the Supreme Intelligence, Keller trying to track Carol and Fury, and a scene with Coulson helping Keller out of an “embarrassing situation”, whatever that may be. With a Captain Marvel sequel likely on the horizon, there is plenty of story to explore.

The sequel could follow Carol’s interstellar adventures between the ending of the first film and her return to Earth in Avengers: Endgame. It could also show her taking lead in the present day with the remaining Avengers. Brie Larson has said she wants the next film to introduce Ms. Marvel aka Kamala Khan into the MCU.

What do you hope to see in a Captain Marvel sequel?

(via ScreenRant, image: Marvel)

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Chelsea Steiner
Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.