MOVIE NEWS – It may feel like we receive a new Marvel Studios movie every week, still, in reality, the last few months we’ve been in the biggest Marvel Cinematic Universe drought in quite a while. Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man and the Wasp was out in the movies on July 6, 2018, and we’ve been waiting for the next chapter in the franchise for months. Still, in Mars, the drought will end with Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s Captain Marvel, and tonight the first audiences have seen the final version and they have given us a preview of what we can expect.

Indeed, the first screenings of Captain Marvel were held tonight in advance of the movie’s domestic press junket, and, as is customary for Marvel Studios titles, the social media embargo has already been lifted. Eric Eisenberg from Cinemablend was in the theatre for one of these showings, and he shared his feelings in the following Tweet, highlighting both the fun approach to the origin story that the film takes, as well as the wonderful presence of star Brie Larson – well, according to him:

Captain Marvel is a blast! Has some cool surprises that I definitely didn’t see coming, and the mystery/origin it weaves is engaging and fun. Brie Larson is awesome, and makes a fantastic first step into the MCU #CaptainMarvel pic.twitter.com/oqrRtgDQrp

— Eric Eisenberg (@eeisenberg) 2019. február 20.

Perri Nemiroff from Collider, is also a big fan of Brie Larson’s titular hero, but she spread some of the love around to the rest of the cast as well – including Ben Mendelsohn as the shape-shifting Skrull Talos, and the adorable cat Goose:

The future of the MCU gets even brighter adding #CaptainMarvel to the mix. Really fell for @brielarson’s sass, strength & energy in the role. Same with @LashanaLynch too! Ben Mendelsohn is A+ casting as Talos. And yes, Goose is a scene stealer. 2nd viewing can’t come soon enough.

— Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) 2019. február 20.

Repping Entertainment Tonight, Ash Crossan also shared Captain Marvel her real love in her Tweet, with the extra enthusiasm made clear through her all-caps usage. Specifically, her appreciation for the movie really come from finding Carol Danvers to be a unique hero in a jam-packed universe, offering something that other Marvel heroes don’t:

#CaptainMarvel is (takes deep 90s breath) TOTALLY AWESOME. Never related to a Marvel character quite like Carol. She’s the stubborn witty 90s kid I like to think I am. pic.twitter.com/H6Q9s90KHA

— Ash Crossan (@AshCrossan) 2019. február 20.

Another writer giving a lot of credit to some aforementioned sources is Peter Sciretta from SlashFilm – who echoes some of the above sentiments shared about both Ben Mendelsohn and Goose. What he also highlights, though, is the relationship between Carol Danvers and Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury, as well as Carol’s important friendship with Lashana Lynch’s Maria Rambeau that serves as an emotional core for the blockbuster:

#CaptainMarvel is a great origin story. Brie’s buddy cop chemistry with @SamuelLJackson is so much fun and her relationship with Lashana Lynch is the real heart of it. Ben Mendelsohn and the cat both steal the show.

— Peter Sciretta (@slashfilm) 2019. február 20.

Finally, I’ll end with the thoughts expressed by Angie Han from Mashable, who kept her reaction briefer than most. Referencing the upcoming showdown that audiences around the world are anticipating in Avengers: Endgame, Han wrote,

#CaptainMarvel: Well, Thanos is fucked.

— Angie J. Han (@ajhan) 2019. február 20.