There’s a reason the movie’s set in the past, and it’s a good one. Captain Marvel serves as a somewhat prequel for the greater MCU , largely to show us how Nick Fury became Nick Fury. Captain Marvel is the one who really opened his eyes to the great big world out there, as he is forced to team up with her to help defeat the Skrulls, and later, the Kree. (Samuel L. Jackson has also been digitally de-aged for the movie, but honestly Jackson looks almost the same as he did in 1995 today).