At the end of Avengers: Infinity War, Nick Fury paged for help just before he, along with half the universe, turned to dust. Next year, we'll find out how he knew who to contact in the next Marvel Cinematic Universe film, Captain Marvel. Last week, we got our first official images from the film, which gave us glimpses at the titular hero, a de-aged Samuel L. Jackson and the Skrulls. Among the images released was one that showed Brie Larson's Carol Danvers flanked by four armed compatriots, approaching Ronan the Accuser and Jude Law's mysterious character. In the image, they are all wearing matching green and black uniforms with stars on their chests. That is because they are all serving members of Starforce.
It was also revealed that Captain Marvel will not be an origin story in the traditional sense, and that Carol Danvers will already have her powers and be a member of Starforce when the film starts. So what exactly is Starforce, and who are Captain Marvel's teammates? It might sound like a new name for a Jedi Order desperately in need of a rebrand, but like most things in the MCU, Starforce has its roots in the comics. So read on to find out everything you need to know about the history and members of the Starforce and what their inclusion tells us about Captain Marvel.
Starforce's Comics History
Starforce was introduced in Marvel Comics back in 1992 in Avengers #346, which was part of the crossover event Operation: Galactic Storm. This storyline chronicled the intergalactic war between the Kree and Shi'ar empires. Starforce is an elite branch of the Kree military made up of the empire's most skilled genetic creations, tasked with the purported goal of defending the empire against threats like the Avengers. Seeking to return to power, the deposed Kree ruler, the Supreme Intelligence, assembled the highly dedicated team.
When the Avengers arrived on the Kree homeworld, hoping to broker peace and protect Earth from becoming collateral damage in the war, they were confronted by Starforce, who believed them part of a plot to assassinate the Kree rulers. While they are there, the Shi'ar assassin Deathbird carried out the assassinations and Starforce arrests the Avengers. Starforce then headed out on a mission to assassinate Lilandra, the Shi'ar empress. Little did they know though that another group of Avengers was there and they, along with the Shi'ar Imperial Guard, defeated Starforce. The Avengers, having exposed Skrull infiltrators in the Shi'ar court, pleaded for Starforce's lives and attempted to convince Lilandra not to deploy the Nega Bomb, a weapon of mass destruction against the Kree. Starforce was spared, but the Skrulls seized the bomb and took it to Kree space.
They found that they were all of them deceived, for in Palpatinian fashion, the entire war, the assassination, the Skrulls, everything, was an elaborate plot by the Supreme Intelligence to have the Shi'ar Nega Bomb detonated on the Kree homeworld in an effort to force Kree evolution. The bomb went off, the war ended, the Shi'ar won and the Starforce was essentially disbanded, although some did serve as the Shi'ar Starforce for a time.
Starforce Members
Starforce is made up of seven members representing the best the Kree had to offer. The comics team consisted of Doctor Minerva, Korath the Pursuer, Captain Atlas, Shatterax, Ultimus, Ronan the Accuser and Supremor, who was an android replica of the Kree Supreme Intelligence. Captain Marvel's Starforce will be made up of a slightly different team that includes Captain Marvel, Ronan, Korath, Minn-Erva, and it seems like Att-Lass and Bron-Char, along with whoever Jude Law is playing.
Carol Danvers was never a member of Starforce in the comics, nor was Bron-Char, who appears to be played by actor Rune Temte in the film. In the comics, Bron-Char is a fundamentalist Kree warrior who comes to Earth for vengeance after the war. We've met Djimon Hounsou's Korath and Lee Pace's Ronan the Accuser before in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. As a part of the Starforce in the comics, Korath was a geneticist who experimented on himself to gain power. Ronan was a high Kree judge appointed to Starforce by the Supreme Intelligence following the assassination of the Kree rulers.
Minn-Erva (Doctor Minerva) and Att-Lass (Captain Atlas) were lovers in the comics, and during the Kree-Shi'ar War, they stole Mar-Vell's Nega bands, which were eventually taken by the Shi'ar and used to create the Nega Bomb. It looks like Algenis Perez Soto will be playing the Kree warrior and loyalist Att-Lass in Captain Marvel. Gemma Chan is playing Minn-Erva, a genetic scientist dedicated to advancing Kree evolution who over time has been an enemy of multiple heroes bearing the name 'Marvel.' Minn-Erva will be someone to watch out for, as she was the only member of Starforce during Operation: Galactic Storm who knew of the Supreme Intelligence's plan.
Mar-Vell And What This All Means For Captain Marvel
The big question mark on the Starforce team is Jude Law's character. We have long suspected that he is playing the original Captain Marvel, Mar-Vell, who is partly responsible for Carol Danvers getting her powers. Mar-Vell was not a part of Starforce in the comics because he was dead at the time, although it was his Nega Bands that were stolen. In Captain Marvel, Jude Law's character will be the leader of Starforce. He has been described as a devout warrior dedicated to the Kree cause who takes a liking to Carol Danvers. Marvel is playing Jude Law's character's name close to the vest for now, although it is possible he isn't Mar-Vell and is in fact the Kree villain Yon-Rogg, who we previously thought Ben Mendelsohn might be playing. Or he could be someone else entirely. Time will tell.
As for what the Starforce's history tells us about their role in Captain Marvel, there is plenty to speculate about. Marvel likes to use elements and storylines from the comics as inspiration to make the best story for the big screen. The Shi'ar won't be in this movie, and it will instead feature the Kree-Skrull War. So there are a couple possibilities. Perhaps the Skrulls will be substituted in to a storyline similar to Operation: Galactic Storm, or perhaps the Starforce will just be made a part of the Kree-Skrull war. The Skrulls are shape-shifters and the comics storyline of Starforce involved a vast conspiracy, so it seems possible that Captain Marvel will discover some sort of elaborate plot to either commit genocide or something that would put Earth in the line of fire. Based on the shape-shifting Kree, I wouldn't be surprised if we got a Mission: Impossible mask-style twist or some revelation that involves someone on Captain Marvel's own Starforce team.
