Marvel has finally made a movie with a female superhero as the star, and it was very well done.  This movie was packed with meaning and it balanced seriousness with humor in just the right mix.  There are four themes I want to highlight for your reflection.

Near the beginning of the movie, we hear the words, “Be the best version of yourself.”  This phrase is repeated throughout the film.  It is a decidedly Christian idea, provided it is understood in the light of Christ.  The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, in his search for meaning, wrote that when we feel restless, we ought to discover what we are dissatisfied with about ourselves, and do something about it.  He continues by clarifying that in this search for meaning, we ought to consider what we have truly loved.  “What has drawn you upward,” he says, “mastered and blessed you?”  These things that we have loved will form a ladder which you can climb to find your true self.

Now Nietzsche did not always have Christian principles in his philosophical work, but in this sense again, we fill in the blank with Christ.  The movie gave us the journey of Carol Danvers changing from an ordinary person to a super-powered individual, and then to a limited version of herself, and finally to the best version of herself.  As in the majority of Marvel movies, this journey was made possible because of the many friends who walked with her along the way.  This is a wonderful analogy for our lives, but the most important friend that we can have is Christ.  I would dare to say that we cannot be the best version of ourselves if we are not friends with Christ.  Christ truly loves us, He blesses us, and He is waiting to lift us up the ladder to Eternal Life.

We hear the protagonist say several times, “What is given can be taken away.”  While this may be true in terms of physical objects, in terms of the Faith it is a different story.  The devil whispers that phrase in our ears in order to weaken our faith.  It is a tactic to lead us to despair.  But the truth is that there is nothing we can do which will cause God to stop loving us.  A lived example of this kind of love can be seen in any good family.  Parents love their children even when they do wrong.  It is necessary to discipline them, but it does not affect the choice that the mother and father make to love their child.  When we consider the idea of the Lord’s love being taken away from us, we can turn and remove our inhibitors to receive an outpouring of His love and grace in the Sacraments of Confession and Eucharist.

One of my favorite characters in the movie was the cat.  The cat was a small figure who was easy to overlook, but my attention was continually drawn back to it.  Sure it provided a lot of comic relief, but the heart of what the cat represented was the truth that appearances can be deceiving.  Sure there were an entire race of creatures which could transform into anything, but the cat was even greater.  It devoured several groups of enemies, and it even ate the Tessaract, but it chose to appear as a cat.  Perhaps the most shocking scene with the cat was discovering that it was the one responsible for Fury losing an eye.  Fury refused to heed the warnings of those around him, and he took the partnership he had with the cat for granted.  It is a good visual lesson for us.  Fury refused to see, and in that choice, he lost the ability to see in one eye.  The comparison in the Christian life can be found in those who see God as infinitely merciful, but refuse to acknowledge His Infinite Justice.  It is a tragedy which can be overcome through evangelization.  Christ tells us in the Scriptures, “Whatever you did for the least of my brethren, you did for me, and whatever you did not do for the least of my brethren, you did not do for me.” These words are sharp, and they challenge us to not remain blind!

Finally, there was a wonderful use of names throughout the movie.  We see Carol Danvers addressed as Vers for the first part of the movie.  When she discovers her past, she recognizes that there is much more to her story.  She claims her full name, and in connection with that, she claims all of her powers.  We are called to the same task – to claim our full identity, which is a beloved child of God.  It is not enough for us to remain in ignorance!  The main Skrull’s name is Talos.  This name is remarkable similar to the ancient Greek word “Telos” meaning the ultimate aim or goal.  He was a driven individual in the film, seeking to be reunited with his family, and to find a same place for his people.  This drive or tenacity is something which many people lack.  Having a goal which we strive for with all our might is what moves us forward.  To not have such a goal is to be prone to sink or fall into an “unexamined life.”  Plato once wrote, “An unexamined life is not worth living.”  Sharp words, but not wrong.  We are made for something greater.  We are made to be in relationship with God, who loves us and gives us everything.  So what is stopping us now?