Although she wasn't introduced until Phase 3's Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers is one of the MCU's first chronological superheroes, and her story has seen her become one of the most powerful characters in the franchise. Brie Larson debuted as Carol Danvers in 2019's Captain Marvel, set in 1995 but released between Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. Captain Marvel explained Danvers' absence from the MCU's previous adventures, though the question as to exactly what she was doing during the thirty years between Captain Marvel and Endgame is still a hot topic of discussion.

Despite there being thirty years missing from Carol Danvers' MCU story, her early life, work with the United States Air Force, and origin story as Captain Marvel has been well documented. This hasn't only occurred in the live-action MCU, but Danvers' story has also been expanded across a range of MCU-set prequel novels, including Higher, Further, Faster, and Starforce on the Rise. The MCU's Multiverse Saga has also introduced several variants of Captain Marvel, though none have appeared in the main MCU timeline. Before Captain Marvel appears in 2023's The Marvels, however, here's a breakdown of her full MCU backstory.

Carol Danvers' Early Life (1964-1982)

2019's Captain Marvel explored several periods of Carol Danvers' childhood in flashbacks. Born Carol Susan Jane Danvers in the mid-1960s, Danvers' parents always treated her differently due to her gender, favoring her older brother Steve. She always dreamed of being able to fly and had a penchant for physical sports and activities. She would cycle and run track, and she joined a baseball team, the "Sparrows." Growing up, she always faced challenges being a young girl in the midst of boys in the sports she played, but always had the dedication to stand back up and prove herself.

Carol Danvers Joins The United States Air Force Academy (& Meets Maria Rambeau) (1982)

Shortly after turning eighteen, Danvers applied to the United States Air Force in order to pursue her dream of becoming a pilot. After being accepted into the Air Force Academy, Danvers was introduced to her roommate Maria Rambeau, and the pair began running together every day and building strong friendships with other cadets. During their time at the Academy, Danvers and Rambeau made it their goal to join the Flying Falcons, an elite Air Force Academy squadron, but the pair were shafted for two male cadets instead. Danvers' first flight was in a plane named Mr. Goodnight, and though she began as a reckless pilot, she quickly found her feet.

Maria Rambeau & Carol Danvers Build A Strong Friendship (1980s)

Danvers' time in the Air Force Academy was full of turmoil and disappointment, though there was a lot to appreciate too, and a massive part of his involved her close friendship with Maria Rambeau. Portrayed by Lashana Lynch in Captain Marvel, Rambeau and Danvers shared many of the same world-changing intentions, and since Danvers didn't have much of a relationship with her own family, Rambeau would invite her into hers. Danvers became godmother to Rambeau's daughter, Monica, and nicknamed her "Lieutenant Trouble." Danvers and Rambeau eventually graduated from the Academy together, earning the titles of Captain.

Dr. Wendy Lawson, A.K.A. Mar-Vell, Arrives On Earth (Late-1980s)

Annette Bening's Mar-Vell was a Kree scientist who came to Earth during the Kree-Skrull War and adopted the name Dr. Wendy Lawson. Working under Project PEGASUS, a joint venture by SHIELD, NASA, and the United States Air Force, Mar-Vell sought to create a light-speed engine using the Tesseract's energy and also kept a group of Skrull refugees safe aboard her orbiting laboratory. Danvers and Rambeau were hired as test pilots for Mar-Vell's light-speed engine experiments, receiving the call signs of "Avenger" and "Photon," respectively.

Carol Danvers Absorbs The Tesseract's Energy (1989)

On one morning in 1989, Danvers and Rambeau arrived at the air base to meet with Mar-Vell, who was agitated about having lives to save - referring to the Skrulls. Danvers volunteered to pilot Mar-Vell to her laboratory, but the pair were intercepted by Jude Law's Yon-Rogg, leading to their plane crashing near a lake. Noticing Mar-Vell's blue blood, the Kree revealed the truth to Danvers before being killed by Yon-Rogg. Hoping to destroy the light-speed engine before Yon-Rogg could obtain it, Danvers inadvertently absorbed the raw energy of the Tesseract. Wanting the energy for himself, Yon-Rogg abducted Danvers and brought her back to the Kree homeworld, Hala.

Minn-Erva & Vers Investigate Skrulls On Aphos Prime (1991)

After being given a blood transfusion from Yon-Rogg, and with no memory of her human life on Earth, Danvers (now going by the moniker Vers) was integrated into Kree society, becoming a fierce warrior and a member of Starforce, an elite military taskforce. The abilities she had been given from the light-speed engine were dampened by a Photon Inhibitor, but Danvers became a skilled hand-to-hand combatant. Embarking on several missions with Starforce, Captain Marvel: Starforce on the Rise explored an investigation of Skrull activity on the planet Aphos Prime, developing Danvers and Minn-Erva's rivalry.

Starforce Embarks On A Mission To Sy'gyl (1992)

Captain Marvel: Starforce on the Rise also detailed Starforce's infiltration of the Xandarian-controlled planet of Sy'gyl. Realizing the war with the Skrulls was draining resources, the Kree decided to end their war with Xandar, but Yon-Rogg wanted Starforce to break into a Xandarian research base and steal plans for a weapon nonetheless. Danvers was outspoken in her disagreement with this plan, but Starforce went ahead with the plans anyway. This led to Danvers being injured, meeting Rhomann Dey from Guardians of the Galaxy, and beginning to doubt her trust in Yon-Rogg, which became important to Captain Marvel's storyline.

Vers Is Captured By Skrulls On Torfa (1995)

In 1995, Starforce was tasked with traveling to the Skrull-inhabited planet Torfa to recover a Kree spy, Soh-Larr. Danvers tracked Soh-Larr's signal to a cave, though Yon-Rogg worried it would be an ambush. Despite Soh-Larr and Danvers sharing their identifying codes, Soh-Larr turned out to be the Skrull General Talos in disguise, marking Ben Mendelsohn's debut in the MCU. Talos momentarily paralyzed Danvers and took her captive aboard his Skrull ship, perusing her memories in an effort to track down his family, who still resided in Mar-Vell's laboratory. This provided Danvers with her first clue that her known history wasn't actually the reality.

Vers Crash Lands On Earth, Meets Nick Fury & Rediscovers Her Past (1995)

After escaping from Talos and the Skrulls, Danvers crash-landed on Earth in 1995 and was quickly met by a young SHIELD agent named Nick Fury. Danvers proceeded to chase a Skrull aboard a train before trying to find Pancho's Bar, which she'd seen in her memories. At the bar, Danvers meets Fury again, and the pair begin to form a bond, deciding to work together to investigate Mar-Vell, Project PEGASUS, and the Skrulls on Earth. During their investigation at the Dark Energy Facility, Danvers learns that she was born and raised on Earth, leading her to reconnect with Maria Rambeau and discover who she really is: Carol Danvers.

Carol Danvers Helps The Skrulls (& Discovers Her True Power) (1995)

Once she had reunited with Rambeau, Danvers learned the truth of the Skrulls, that they are actually allies as opposed to enemies. She, Rambeau, and Fury help Talos return to his family aboard Mar-Vell's laboratory, but the group is ambushed by Yon-Rogg and Starforce. Danvers is forced to speak to the Supreme Intelligence but soon breaks out of her chains, destroys her Photon Inhibitor, and embraces the full force of her power. She uses her newfound abilities to battle Starforce, destroy a Kree Accuser ship, and send Yon-Rogg back to Hala.

Captain Marvel Helps The Universe & Nick Fury Forms The Avengers (1995-2018)

Following the events of Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers and Nick Fury made a promise to the Skrull refugees that they would find them a suitable new home across the stars since their homeworld, Skrullos, had been destroyed in the war. Danvers leaves Earth to do this, while Fury stays behind and begins to form plans to bring together a team of superheroes: the Avengers. 2023's Secret Invasion revealed that Danvers and Fury had failed to keep their word and that a million Skrulls had been living among humanity, and a rebellious faction of Skrulls wanted to claim Earth as their own world.

Carol Danvers Returns To Earth (2018)

Captain Marvel's post-credits scene took place shortly after the events of Avengers: Infinity War in 2018. After Nick Fury had called Danvers' emergency pager while being snapped away in Infinity War, Captain Marvel appeared before the remaining Avengers, asking where her old friend had gone. Learning of Thanos' actions, Danvers decided to stay on Earth and help the Avengers, soon after heading into space to recover Tony Stark and Nebula and leading the charge to the Garden to take down Thanos. Danvers continued to work with the Avengers throughout the five-year Blip in Avengers: Endgame.

Captain Marvel Fights Thanos In The Battle Of Earth (2023)

Despite being absent for the Avengers' Time Heist in Endgame, Captain Marvel returned during the final battle against the Mad Titan Thanos. She returned to Earth to destroy Thanos' ship, Sanctuary II, and took on the supervillain hand-to-hand, being practically unfazed by his attacks until he used the Power Stone to blast her out of the way. Iron Man would eventually save the day, but Captain Marvel had a huge hand in bringing the Mad Titan to his knees.

Bruce Banner & Carol Danvers Investigate The Ten Rings (2024)

Although the majority of Phase 4's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings takes place shortly after Endgame in 2023, the film's post-credits scene happens several months later, in 2024. Wong, the MCU's Sorcerer Supreme, brings Shang-Chi and Katy to the Sanctum Sanctorum to investigate a strange signal being sent from the Ten Rings. Wong has also established holographic communication with both Bruce Banner and Carol Danvers, two genius-level heroes, with Banner being familiar with Earth sciences and Danvers having immense knowledge of the cosmos, though both are confused by the Ten Rings and their mysterious origins.

Captain Marvel Teleports Into Kamala Khan's Bedroom (2025)

Carol Danvers was mentioned many times during Marvel Studios' Ms. Marvel on Disney+, as Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan is a Captain Marvel super-fan. Teasing Kamala's involvement in 2023's The Marvels, Carol Danvers suddenly appeared in Ms. Marvel's finale, seemingly switching places with Kamala Khan, which has been explained as Danvers', Kamala's, and Monica Rambeau's powers being entangled in trailers for The Marvels. Danvers finds herself in Kamala Khan's bedroom in New Jersey, which presumably leads directly into the events of The Marvels.

Carol Danvers Teams Up With The Marvels (2025)

The Marvels will see Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan team up as a new superhero trio in the MCU. Their light-based powers become entangled through mysterious means, meaning the trio switch places when their powers are used. This will bring Danvers and Rambeau together for the first time since the latter was a child in Captain Marvel and will also reunite Danvers with Nick Fury for the first time since Tony Stark's funeral in Endgame. Pitted against new Kree villains, The Marvels will develop the MCU's Captain Marvel further while also potentially explaining what she had been doing during her lengthy absence from the MCU.