“Captain Marvel” hit theaters on March 8 2019, and by April 3 it made history as the first female superhero movie to hit one billion dollars. The film has received lots of praise for this representation, but received even more criticism for this same reason.

The story follows Carol Danvers (portrayed by Brie Larson), a warrior for the Kree, an alien race from the planet Hala, as they fight in a war against the shape-shifting Skrulls. Carol’s powers, glowing fists that shoot photon blasts, are the result of an accident that also left her with severe memory loss. Throughout the movie, she tries to rediscover her past through dreams and flashes, much to the displeasure of Yon-Rogg, her mentor who encourages her to forget her past. The movie is set in the 1990’s, which is made obvious through the Blockbuster that Carol crashes through after she falls to earth. Other iconic symbols of the 90’s are scattered throughout the movie, including clunky computers, a Radio Shack, Carol’s grunge outfits, a pager, and action backed by songs by Nirvana, R.E.M., and other classic 90’s bands. 

The movie, number 21 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, fits right in with the other movies in the universe. Samuel L. Jackson reprises his role as Nick Fury, who at this point is merely an agent for S.H.I.E.L.D., the government organization to deal with extraterrestrial threats, and Ronan, the villain from Guardians of the Galaxy, also makes an appearance. In its final moments, the film reveals the origin of the now iconic Avengers initiative and teases Carol’s vital role in future MCU movies. 

But despite it’s captivating plot and it’s home among the other movies, what stands out the most about the film is its powerful female lead. “Captain Marvel” is more than just led by a woman: it focuses on stories that women across the world can relate to. Carol is faced with the same challenges that real women are, she is told to smile, that her emotions get the better of her and she is manipulated by men who have power over her. While it is important that these struggles are seen in movies, what is most important is watching her fight back. After being manipulated and knocked down countless times, Carol stands back up and fights back against those who oppress her, inspiring women today to do the same. 

Before it even opened, the movie was met with harsh criticism for this very reason. After the first trailers were released, many took to twitter to say that Larson should have smiled more. Before the film had opened anywhere, it already had scathing reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, creating enough of a problem that the website itself had to step in and ban users from rating movies before they were released. 

But despite this, “Captain Marvel” still reached 1 billion dollars, showing how important it is to women and young girls alike to have a powerful character to look up to, especially in comics, an area of entertainment that is primarily male dominated.