Unlike with most of the cast we see in our beloved superhero movies, “Captain Marvel” gave women an opportunity to see themselves as heroes.

I didn’t have any particular expectations for this movie, to be honest. The trailers came off as cheesy to me, so as you can guess, I was not super excited as my mom dragged me along to go see it for one of our family movie nights. But as expected of a Marvel movie, my perspective on this “Men in Black–Top Gun–Star Wars” mashup turned around completely before I exited the theater.

I was expecting the film to be centered around some sort of radical feminist message, but instead it gave us an idea of equal representation. In reality, it was crucial content for the Marvel Cinematic Universe — focusing on an important character who will be making an appearance in “Avengers: Endgame.”

The movie essentially blended a relevant storyline with aspects of female empowerment that wasn’t too overpowering. The message I gleaned from it was that I’m not different and I shouldn’t be treated a certain way because I’m a woman, but rather, “I’m a woman, who cares, so what? I deserve the same respect.”

One of my favorite aspects of the movie was that Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) wasn’t the only woman who became a pilot and persevered against all odds. Her fellow pilot and friend, Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch), was a great addition because it shows that any ordinary woman can become something extraordinary.

The relationship between Captain Marvel and Rambeau is worth noting, too. Female friendships are too often portrayed in a misleading and shallow way, but the friendship between these two women is clearly one of love, understanding and sacrifice.

Captain Marvel put a female face on the word “hero,” which to me is a step in the right direction.