Deadpool may be known for its meta-humor but Captain Marvel apparently knows how to poke fun at itself too. A promotional site for the upcoming Marvel cinematic universe film authentically models itself after the terrible websites that populated the earliest days of the World Wide Web.
The Captain Marvel site has it all: star wallpaper, animated gifs, rainbow Comic Sans, barely legible red-on-green font, and a non-functional guestbook. The gag will look familiar to those who saw the Internet stumble awkwardly into its current sleek and polished form. To those youngsters who don't remember this era: yes, it really was like this.
For all of its silliness, the site does function too. It hosts the trailer, a brief explanation of Captain Marvel and the Kree, and a link to buy tickets. A pop-up image even lets you get in on the fun of punching an old lady.
The 1990s setting and aesthetic serves a functional purpose in the MCU. When Thanos accomplishes his genocidal goal in Avengers: Infinity War, Nick Fury appeared to hit an emergency beacon to call in Captain Marvel--a sort of emergency last resort to face an unprecedented threat. That raises the obvious question of why she hasn't been around to handle the dozen or so other times life on Earth has been threatened throughout the MCU, and the film will probably answer what she's been up to all this time. That will set the stage for Avengers: Endgame later in the spring.
The studio also recently released a pair of spiffy Captain Marvel posters, just as promotional material showed off the new costumes for the Avengers. The two movies will be back-to-back blockbusters, with Captain Marvel coming on March 8, followed by Avengers: Endgame on April 26.