It's a particularly exciting time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as there are just two more releases left in the highly successful Phase Three. Before it all comes to an end with Avengers: Endgame, Carol Danvers will get a 1990's origin story in Captain Marvel. In addition to bringing the title character to audiences, Anna Boden and
Ryan Fleck's Marvel blockbuster will also feature plenty of familiar faces including Phil Coulson, Ronan The Accuser, Korath, and Nick Fury. The latter is played by the always delightful Samuel L. Jackson, who is saying some conflicting things about Carol's pet cat Goose.
Goose has been rumored to be stealing the show in Captain Marvel, which arrives in theaters in a matter of days. Samuel L. Jackson and Brie Larson had to work with a number of cats during filming, and it doesn't seem like either of them are exactly cat people. When speaking with CinemaBlend's own Sarah El-Mahmoud, Jackson seemed to have worked well with his feline co-stars, saying:
There were actually four cats, Reggie was the main cat we worked with, he adjusted to us and was more people friendly than I think the others were. Yeah, always a good day when he was there. All snack based, you give them the right snack at the right time and use the right tone of voice. He was a very accomplished and fun cat to work with. He always hit his mark, always look at you and do what he was supposed to do, he was friendly.
Cats aren't known for being overly friendly, so it must be somewhat nerve-wracking to act alongside them. But as Samuel L. Jackson told CinemaBlend, there was one Goose actor that was a bit more easy to get along with. That cat was Reggie, who is reportedly doing much of the film's heavy lifting as Goose the cat. But now the question is: is Reggie the one on the awesome character posters?
You can check out Sarah El-Mahmoud's conversation with Samuel L. Jackson below.
Seems like Samuel L. Jackson had a pretty copacetic relationship with the cats on Captain Marvel's set, right? Well, it turns out he might have been a bit less enthused than he let on to CinemaBlend.
Given how much buzz is around Goose's role in Captain Marvel, Samuel L. Jackson has fielded plenty of questions about the feline cast member. After all, there's that old saying about working with animals and children in show business. When speaking with io9 about his role as Nick Fury, Jackson revealed he wasn't a big fan of the cats. Mostly because he's not a pet person in general. As he tells it:
No, I am not a cat person. But I’m also not a dog, bird or a fish person, either. I don’t engage pets. You know, Reggie is like most animals that people bring to set that have been trained to do this, that, or the other — he’s snack-oriented. You give him something to eat, he shows up. You give him something to eat, you talk softly and nice to him, give him something to eat again. They love you. You know, so, it works out. And… there were actually four cats, but Reggie did the majority of the heavy lifting most of the time.
Well, that certainly paints a different picture. It looks like working with Reggie and the rest of the cats wasn't exactly Samuel L. Jackson's cup of tea. But Nick Fury has no fear, so Jackson had to put his game face on, and try to connect with Carol Danver's pet Goose on camera. Fury can be seen petting the cat during the trailers for Captain Marvel, already proving that the actor succeeded in making that specific situation work. As if we'd expect anything else from Sam Jackson.
Goose may be poised to be a scene stealer in Captain Marvel, but some changes were already made to the character from the Marvel comics. Namely, Carol Danver's pet was given a different name. In the comics, he's called Chewie-- named after Chewbacca from the Star Wars franchise. That ultimately got canned for the live-screen adaptation, and he was given the name of another well-known fictional character: Goose, Anthony Edwards's character from Top Gun. This is an especially adept pop culture reference, given that Tom Cruise will bring back the franchise with Top Gun: Maverick.
The cat's name was changed from Chewie to Goose to it would relate even close to Carol Danver's mysterious time on Earth. Brie Larson's hero is an Air Force pilot, so it makes sense that Top Gun might be an important movie from her past. This will no doubt create plenty of opportunities for comedy in Captain Marvel, as the MCU has made levity an important part of its formula over the years. We'll see just how much Goose factors into the narrative when Captain Marvel arrives in theaters in a matter of days.
Smart money says that Goose won't be just a regular cat in Captain Marvel. With the movie's story tied to the cosmic side of the MCU, fans assumed the cat might end up actually being an alien of some sort. That also vibes with Chewie's backstory from the page. The cat is actually a creature called a Flerken, and has even come to blows with Rocket Raccoon. If Goose joins Captain Marvel for her highly anticipated role in Avengers: Endgame, that could even come to fruition in The Russo Brothers' upcoming blockbuster.
Indeed, Captain Marvel has been teased to have a major role in the future of the MCU. With so many of the OG Avengers likely departing due to actors' contracts coming to an end, the new class of heroes will be needed to fill in the gaps. Cue Brie Larson's Carol Danvers, teased to be the most powerful hero in the shared universe.
You can judge for yourself when Captain Marvel arrives in theaters on March 8th, and the character will pop back up again in Avengers: Endgame on April 26th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
