With the upcoming “Avengers: Endgame” forced to deal with the tragic fallout of last year’s “Infinity War,” the ’90s-set “Captain Marvel” gets to be a more upbeat introduction to Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, aka the superhero with the power necessary to take down the nefarious Thanos.

Oscar-winner Brie Larson predictably nails the starring role, but she’s surrounded by one of the MCU’s best assortment of sidekicks and villains yet. Even a cat named Goose steals a few breakout moments.

Knowledge of the preceding 20 MCU movies isn’t necessary to enjoy “Captain Marvel” either, though the film’s first 15 minutes will likely bewilder those who don’t understand the meaning behind words like “Kree,” “Skrulls,” “Vers” and “Yon-Rogg.”

Luckily, that overload of space and comic book gobbledygook is intentional, because that confusion feeds into the film’s central conflict. It introduces Larson first as Vers, a brash and undisciplined member of a cosmic military team who are waging a war against the Skrulls — aliens who can shapeshift and assume the identities of anyone they see. But Vers has dreams and visions of a more human life — specifically a career as a fighter pilot back on Earth.

After an early skirmish, Vers crashlands inside a Blockbuster Video circa 1995, and a young S.H.I.E.L.D. agent with two eyes named Nick Fury arrives on the scene. Samuel L. Jackson gets his largest role yet in the MCU, playing a younger version of Fury with the assistance of some astonishing de-aging CGI effects.

“Captain Marvel” especially shines as a “buddy-cop” adventure with Larson and Jackson on the hunt for an Earthbound device the Skrulls want for seemingly dastardly plans. We also get a compelling stretch where Vers learns of her previous life as Carol Danvers, and Lashana Lynch makes an emotional impact as Carol’s former best friend and co-pilot in the Air Force.

The movie’s deep bench of memorable supporting players includes Jude Law as Vers’ space team mentor, Annette Bening in a tricky sorta-double role, Clark Gregg returning as a young version of beloved S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Coulson, and the always magnificent Ben Mendelsohn as the film’s chief Skrull adversary. In fact, Mendelsohn’s character, Talos, serves as one of the MCU’s best antagonists, in part because of how the movie allows Mendelsohn to explore different, um, shapes, of the shapeshifter.

The action elements of “Captain Marvel” are serviceable, if not jaw-dropping, which shouldn’t be surprising given directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s lack of experience in big budget filmmaking (their previous work includes excellent character-driven films like “Half Nelson,” “Sugar” and “Mississippi Grind”). Their screenplay, co-written by Geneva Robertson-Dworet, is the more impressive feat, using the main character’s amnesia as a way to unpack a dense backstory without dragging the movie into an exposition slog.

Ultimately, the best aspects of “Captain Marvel” circle around dialogue-heavy and character-driven scenes, and Larson has the unique ability to both command the screen while also helping to tee-up great moments for her scene partners. The Jackson-Larson pairing especially sparks here, and thankfully “Captain Marvel” makes their dynamic the centerpiece of the movie.

Larson and Captain Marvel have a significant role to play in next month’s “Avengers: Endgame,” but it’s nice to get this origin story outside of that behemoth of a story. However that film goes, “Captain Marvel” exists as stand-alone good fun and a movie that ranks at least in the upper half of the MCU’s impressively consistent lineup.

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Tyler Wilson can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com