Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has something to say about that Captain Marvel plot hole. There are SPOILERS for Captain Marvel ahead, so consider yourself warned. At the end of Infinity War, Nick Fury pulls out an enhanced pager to contact Carol Danvers before becoming a victim of the Decimation. Since then, we have learned a great deal about Ms. Danvers and one of the main takeaways is that she is the strongest superhero to be introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe thus far. Since that's the case, why didn't Fury hit her up earlier?
In a new interview to promote Captain Marvel, Kevin Feige was asked about that specific plot hole. If Fury has had that power to call on the sure thing every time, why hasn't he done it before? Feige has a few answers for MCU fans who have been waiting for the official explanation. He had this to say.
"Well, I'd say two things. One, she does say it's gotta be a real emergency, right? Yeah... The other thing I'd say is how do you know he never hit it? How do we know he never pushed it before? We've never seen him push it before. That doesn't mean he never did."
This issue has been addressed in the Captain Marvel prequel comic by Will Corona Pilgrim. In the comic, Nick Fury tells Maria Hill that he's only supposed to use the pager in a real emergency, which Pilgrim calls a "silver bullet." Some fans found that answer to be a bit flimsy, but were okay in waiting for the movie to hit theaters to see if there was any further explanation as to why Fury waited to page Carol Danvers.
In Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers confiscates Nick Fury's 90s pager and later gives it back to him with an upgrade. However, she tells him that he can only use it in case of emergency before she takes off to help the Skrulls. When recently asked about it, Fury actor Samuel L. Jackson basically had the same thing to say. Jackson says that, "we finally have an emergency that I feel warrants her presence". The actor says that Fury had confidence in Earth's Mightiest Heroes to get the job done until Thanos came to town.
Related: Stan Lee's Captain Marvel Cameo Is Sure to Make Kevin Smith Cry
It's not clear if MCU fans are willing to accept Kevin Feige's defense of the Captain Marvel plot hole. But, it is something that may be addressed further in Avengers: Endgame, which is out at the end of April. Endgame directors the Russo Brothers have hinted at the hurdle to write for a character that has so much power, but they reveal that they have done something satisfying with it. We won't just see Carol Danvers march in, defeat Thanos, and go home. You can read the rest of the interview with Kevin Feige over at Slash Film.
