Just when you thought we were done talking about the feminist virtue signaling of “Captain Marvel,” the superhero is back with a woke extended scene that has liberals swooning and everyone else cringing.
In a scene that (to no one’s surprise) didn’t make the final cut of the film, Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel) pauses in a strip mall to look at a map. A guy creepily approaches her and offers to help, telling her to give him a smile. “People call me ‘the Don,’” he says. No relation to any other Dons or Donalds of the world, I’m sure.
Then Danvers shakes his hand, burning it with her powers, and steals his jacket, helmet, and motorcycle. It’s a stunt to make Gloria Steinem proud. The scene has been lauded as a takedown of toxic masculinity, but it’s actually just an unnecessary addition to an already slow film.
“Captain Marvel” didn’t need any filler scenes, especially not this one. Rather than empowering, it wastes viewers’ time with an unnecessarily aggressive message. Ben Shapiro was actually right about it:
Man, it is so empowering to watch a woman with superpowers physically hurt and then threaten to break a man’s hand — and steal his motorcycle and jacket because he said something rude to her! So empowering! Empowerment! https://t.co/g0XRPzgd1i
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) May 24, 2019
If one of the film’s goals is to position “Captain Marvel” as a role model for young women, depicting her as an angry, threatening thief isn’t going to serve the cause. Some fans disagreed, however.
All the guys offended by Captain Marvel defending herself from a creepy dude, see themselves in that guy. They don’t like that a woman can retaliate if they assault her. They identified with the abuser.
— GingerBels (@FleckerdGirl) May 27, 2019
One fan wrote, “All the guys offended by Captain Marvel defending herself from a creepy dude, see themselves in that guy. They don’t like that a woman can retaliate if they assault her.” But “the Don” wasn’t assaulting anyone. Did he deserve some payback for his creepy, sexist ways? For sure. Was Captain Marvel’s reaction commensurate to his actions? No.
The scene underscores a subtle but persistent theme in the film. Yes, Danvers has faced some sexism in her life, just as all girls watching “Captain Marvel” someday will. But the scene is less about character development and realism and more about signaling to woke liberals that the film is the patriarchy smasher for which they were hoping.
“I wonder if this is going to be the new thing,” one viewer wrote. “Instead of a Director’s Cut we’ll have a Woke Cut where they put in all the stuff they promised their woke actors to do and then cut out of the theatrical release…”
I wonder if this is going to be the new thing. Instead of a Director’s Cut we’ll have a Woke Cut where they put in all the stuff they promised their woke actors to do and then cut out of the theatrical release lmao
— neontaster (@neontaster) May 24, 2019
There’s no doubt that “Captain Marvel” actress Brie Larson loved the scene. But it’s just another example of a story muddied by virtue signaling, and it doesn’t mean you’re part of the patriarchy if you’re smart enough to recognize that.
