'Captain Marvel' Channels the '90s in These Ways, the Editor Hints
"We're having some fun with that," Marvel film editor Debbie Berman tells Inverse.
It should come as no surprise that Captain Marvel, set in 1995, will portray the ‘90s in memorable style (the trailer above ☝ shows a Blockbuster video), and that’s just the beginning, says the film’s editor.
In a recent interview focused on Black Panther’s historic Golden Globe nomination, Marvel Studios editor Debbie Berman tells Inverse how Captain Marvel will lean into its ‘90s setting. (We also asked about Black Panther 2 but she said something about “Marvel’s snipers” and quickly changed the subject.)
As for Captain Marvel, Berman confirms that while the movie will embrace the 1990s, you shouldn’t expect Pulp Fiction with superheroes.
“We’re having some fun with that,” she says of channeling a ‘90s vibe, adding that while the decade won’t necessarily influence the specific editing style of Captain Marvel, you’ll definitely notice the way the way the film looks and feels like the 90s. But how might that translate to the big screen?
Carol Danvers is the coolest Air Force pilot you don't know yet.
“The entire film won’t necessarily feel edited like the ‘90s style of filmmaking,” Berman says. “But there may be some sequences that make you feel like you’re watching a ‘90s movie.”
Could she be referring to that obligatory Blockbuster Video scene featured in the Captain Marvel trailer? Or will we get a scene from Carol’s human life in the Air Force that feels straight out of Top Gun? (Please Marvel, it’s not too late to shoot a volleyball montage scene with Brie Larson and Nick Fury)
Obviously, one of the most poignant ‘90s touchstones that Captain Marvel can sync with is the music. Carol Danvers sports a Nine Inch Nails shirt in official photos, and the image of Larson wearing a badass Guns N’ Roses shirt made the rounds back in March.
Clearly, Danvers is into metal. So Captain Marvel will probably have plenty of that to go around, right? Sadly, Berman couldn’t reveal which songs will make up the movie’s soundtrack, but she seemed to suggest that some ‘90s tunes will make it into the mix.
“It was such a joyous decade for a lot of things,” she says. “So we’re leaning into that wherever we can.”
Brie Larson wears a Nine Inch Nails shirt in 'Captain Marvel'.
More generally speaking, based on Berman’s experience editing other MCU films like Spider-Man: Homecoming and Black Panther, we can expect plenty of jokes, along with some heavier moments, in Captain Marvel.
“I think the things that I care about the most are putting heart and humor into a film,” Berman says. “If you’re laughing, it kind of opens the door for you to cry, and I think both are equally important. If I made a movie and you’re not laughing or crying at some point, then I need to work on it some more.”
This cuts to the core of what makes Marvel films so special to so many people. The drama comes from the heart of its many beloved characters and the humor, in all its forms, only makes the experience that much more fun.
Based on everything we’ve heard so far, Captain Marvel won’t be any different despite being one of the very few Marvel movies set explicitly in a decade other than our own.
Captain Marvel will be released in theaters on March 8, 2019.
Also check out the second trailer for Captain Marvel.
