Is Marvel really recasting this role?
Credit: Marvel Studios
Related: The ‘Captain Marvel’ Sequel Is Scrapping Original ‘Avengers’ Elements From Films
After the unexpected triumph of the first ever “Marvel film” — Iron Man (2008) — which not only breathed new life into Robert Downey Jr.’s career but also brought a burst of energy to the superhero movie genre, the Walt Disney Company acquired the popular Marvel Studios. Now, more than ten years since that acquisition and under the guidance of Kevin Feige, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), inspired by Marvel Comics, has experienced a truly impressive expansion.
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The initial three Phases, famously referred to as the Infinity Saga, reached a widely celebrated climax with the release of the MCU film Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and its second part, Avengers: Endgame (2019). Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, Endgame depicted the original six Avengers as they embarked on their respective retirements (in some cases, retirements that were somewhat forced).
With fan-favorite Tony Stark/Iron Man making the ultimate sacrifice to defeat Thanos (Josh Brolin) and Chris Evans bidding farewell to his portrayal of Steve Rogers/Captain America by passing on the Captain America legacy, the MCU has now created a significant opportunity for prominent superhero teams like the Fantastic Four and X-Men to step into the limelight and assume new positions of influence.
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Related: Marvel’s ‘Spider-Man’ Villain Doc Ock Finds New Actor
The sequel to Captain Marvel (2018), AKA Captain Marvel 2, will be titled The Marvels (2023) and led by director Nia DaCosta. To date, the Marvel universe film has undergone a number of reschedules within Marvel Studios’ Phase Five, finally resulting in a delayed release date of November 10, 2023. The storyline of The Marvels revolves around Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) reprising her role as Captain Marvel. She joins forces with Captain Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), who is the daughter of Carol’s late best friend Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch), and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), also known as Ms. Marvel, a character introduced in her own Disney+ (Disney Plus) show, Ms. Marvel (2022). Together, they unite to thwart the ambitions of the villain Dar-Benn portrayed by Zawe Ashton.
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The upcoming Marvel movie’s cast includes Park Seo-joon as Prince Yan, the charismatic prince of the planet Aladna and Danvers’ husband and ally, alongside Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D. now working with the Skrulls at S.A.B.E.R. in deep space — fresh off of Secret Invasion (2023). Additionally, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, and Saagar Shaikh reprise their roles as Khan’s family members from the Disney+ miniseries Ms. Marvel (2022). Lashana Lynch returns as Maria Rambeau, Randall Park as Jimmy Woo, Daniel Ings portrays Ty-Rone, Colin Stoneley plays Papp-Tonn, a Kree scientist, and Gary Lewis embodies Emperor Dro’ge, the Skrull leader. Shamier Anderson, Abraham Popoola, Ffion Jolly, Caroline Simonnet, and Jessica Zhou also join the cast in undisclosed roles, while Goose, Carol’s pet Flerken, Goose makes a comeback, portrayed by cats Nemo and Tango.
Credit: Marvel Studios
However, one particular role is coming under scrutiny — as it appears that Marvel Studios has recast the character and gone with a totally different actor.
It seems like Goose, Captain Marvel’s adorable fluffy monster friend — who bears a striking resemblance to Earth house cats but is actually a terrifying alien Flerkin — now has a (seemingly unnecessary) new look.
The role has been recast since 2019’s Captain Marvel, with the original Goose being portrayed mainly by the orange puffball (ginger tabby) Reggie, with three other “stunt cats”, Archie, Rizzo, and Gonzo originally filling in for him on occasion. Now, the role is being credited to Nemo and Tango — but that’s not the main issue that fans are having with this change.
Credit: Marvel Studios
In fact, fans’ main gripes are with the somewhat baffling decision to change the looks of the largely CGI cat.
Fans began voicing their confusion at Marvel Studios online, with the casting change going viral with @NewRockstars’ tweet comparing the seemingly sudden recast to Colonel James Rhodes AKA “Rhodey” in Iron Man, who was was recast from Terrence Howard to the current Don Cheadle.
Users like @calvonico pointed out that if a CGI face was already being applied to several “stunt cats” to mimic the “main cat actor”, then why would Marvel not ensure that the cat looks the same as the first movie?:
New Rockstars: Next time, baby! #TheMarvels
Nico: It’s a CGI cat, why the heck it’s not the same cat?!?!
It’s a CGI cat, why the heck it’s not the same cat?!?!
— Nico⚡️? (@calvonico) October 17, 2023
Others like @MyTimeToShineH were also baffled by this recast:
They recast the cat. Marvel you bastards!
They recast the cat. Marvel you bastards! https://t.co/itXhTxgwY2
— MyTimeToShineHello (@MyTimeToShineH) October 17, 2023
Meanwhile other users like @Natephant are feeling a little bit of buyer’s remorse:
They recast a CGI cat…. I already bought my ticket but now I’m sorta nervous.
They recast a CGI cat…. I already bought my ticket but now I’m sorta nervous. https://t.co/fvXxQ02WDa
— nate (@Natephant) October 17, 2023
Clearly, members of the public seem continually suspicious of Marvel Studios. Is it superhero fatigue? Is it Marvel Studios’ lack of consistency? It could be a mix of the two.
What do you think about this Captain Marvel star recast? Could Marvel have kept the cat looking the same? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
It seems like Marvel Studios are ready to switch our their beloved ‘Captain Marvel’ star for someone totally new. Read More