How will Captain Marvel fit in with the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe? Marvel’s Phase 3 movies have been completely out of sequence, with Captain Marvel actually set in the 1990s. It will surely reveal a previously-unseen part of S.H.I.E.L.D. history, with Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury and Clark Gregg’s Phil Coulson both slated to appear.

So far, all attention has been on the question of how this film relates to Avengers: Infinity War and next year’s Avengers 4. There’s a reason Marvel slotted this movie in between the two Avengers films, and the post-credits sequence of Avengers: Infinity War clearly set Carol Danvers up to play an important role in the MCU’s future.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

Related: How Avengers: Infinity War Sets Up Captain Marvel

But given that Captain Marvel is set in the history of the MCU, it would hardly be a surprise to see subtle references to events we’ve already seen. We may also get references to other Marvel events that took place in that decade – specifically the death of Howard Stark. Curiously, there’s currently a sliver of evidence that suggests Captain Marvel will have a direct connection to both Iron Man 2 and The Avengers. If that’s the case, Marvel really is carefully rooting the film in established continuity.

  • This Page: Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S.
  • Page 2: What Part Could Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. Play in Captain Marvel?

The Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. Connection

Over on IMDb, the cast and crew list for Captain Marvel is gradually being updated as filming progresses. It already includes some tantalizing details; Adam Hart is described as a “Skrull spy,” while Connor Ryan is “Cadet Livanson.” But look closely, and you’ll spot one name that’s particularly interesting. According to IMDb, Mel Powell is playing “Pegasus Guard Ficke.” Now, it’s important to note that it’s fairly easy to enter information on IMDb, so this shouldn’t be taken as gospel. At the same time, though, this detail makes a lot of sense.

See also  How To Get Buddy Hearts Fast in Pokemon Go

In the comics, P.E.G.A.S.U.S. is a scientific base located in the Adirondack Mountains. It was originally intended to research alternative forms of energy, but gradually became a center for some of the world’s most advanced technology. Over the years, P.E.G.A.S.U.S. has been associated with a large number of superheroes, most notably including the Hulk, the Thing, Quasar, and Nova. At times, it’s even served as a prison that housed some of the world’s most dangerous energy-based supervillains. One of the last major comic book arcs P.E.G.A.S.U.S. appeared in was 2007’s “Secret Invasion,” where the base was a priority target for the invading Skrull armies. Given that the Skrulls are the main villains of Captain Marvel, that connection is clearly an important one.

P.E.G.A.S.U.S. has already been established in the MCU, too. In Iron Man 2, Tony Stark retrieved technology that his father had been working on, one of which was labeled “Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S..” This clearly established that the MCU’s version of Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. was active before Howard Stark had been killed in 1991, meaning it was actually active at the time of Captain Marvel. Later in the film, an extended scene showed Stark make another reference to the project when he asked JARVIS to call up records on “Projects P.E.G.A.S.U.S., Exodus, and Goliath.“

Related: Iron Man 2 Teased Ant-Man & the Wasp’s Goliath

Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. finally made its big-screen debut in The Avengers. As official Guidebooks have explained, the MCU’s P.E.G.A.S.U.S. was a joint venture between S.H.I.E.L.D. and NASA. One of its main facilities was based in the Mojave Desert, and the World Council had that base dedicate itself to the study of the Tesseract. This P.E.G.A.S.U.S. base was destroyed when Loki arrived on Earth at the beginning of The Avengers; it’s unknown whether or not S.H.I.E.L.D. had any other P.E.G.A.S.U.S. installations, but certainly this destruction was probably what Quake referenced in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 1 when she accused S.H.I.E.L.D. of covering something up at P.E.G.A.S.U.S..

All these threads tie together quite neatly, showing just why it would be sensible for Captain Marvel to use the idea of Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S.. Just as in the comics, this organisation would have access to advanced technology, and are clearly dedicated to the study of alternative energy sources. No doubt any Skrull or Kree technology that’s captured over the course of the film would actually be taken to projects like P.E.G.A.S.U.S.. The fact there’s even a comic book connection between the base and the Skrulls just adds weight to the idea.

See also  Daredevil: Why Born Again Deserves An Animated Adaptation (& Why The Man Without Fear Should First)

Page 2 of 2: What Part Could Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. Play in Captain Marvel?

Key Release Dates
  • Ant-Man & The Wasp (2018)Release date: Jul 06, 2018
  • Captain Marvel (2019)Release date: Mar 08, 2019
  • The Avengers 4 / Avengers: Endgame (2019)Release date: Apr 26, 2019
  • Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)Release date: Jul 02, 2019

1

2

Red Dawn’s Wolverines Graffiti Showing Up in Ukraine On Russian Tanks

About The Author


Thomas Bacon
(4904 Articles Published)

Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back – and this time it’s cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon.

A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He’s heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he’s into British politics too.

More From Thomas Bacon