In a recent tell-all, Brie Larson confessed that she didn’t want to do ‘Captain Marvel’. What made her ultimately take on the mantle of Carol Danvers?
Brie is a rare breed among her peers. Despite being a superstar, she has a prominent face on the activism front and a very outspoken social media channel. She recently surprised her fans by telling them that she was reluctant to take on ‘Captain Marvel’s’ mantle. Since her earlier filmography skewed indie, this makes perfect sense. However, what makes her perfect for the role? And should she have stuck with her decision?
Highlights —
- Brie said no to ‘Captain Marvel’ twice.
- What made her ultimately take up the role?
- Should she have stuck with her decision?
The story behind ‘Captain Marvel’
Brie was out filming ‘Kong: Skull Island’ when she first approached the ‘Captain Marvel’ job. Now, Brie had always been an indie darling. Though she had been noticed as the protagonist of ‘Room’ and won an Academy Award for it, she hadn’t got any mainstream attention then.
Being out from indie shadows to going into the most popular property on the planet is a big step for everyone. In her video about auditions, she told fans that she had “too much anxiety” to become Carol Danvers. However, her team kept pushing her for it, and she finally got into the role.
After the Marvel team told her that she’d have an all-female writer room and pitched her on the story, they gave Brie Larson reasons to play Captain Marvel. Even though she was scared about the stardom, she accepted it because she believed in the story’s message.
What sets Brie apart from the crop of actors hired in other MCU films is that most movie actors are big-name actors. Chris Evans has been in other superhero films, Chris Hemsworth has been in a hit TV show before, and Robert Downey Junior was part of many hit movies before taking up Iron Man’s role. Brie was not only taking a woman’s film in a man’s club, but she was also one of the most inexperienced actors in MCU.
Nevertheless, she persisted
When Superman was cast in the first film, the directors wanted a relatively unknown name for the role. The philosophy was simple, and people wanted everyone to look at Superman and identify with him. In came Christopher Reeves and the rest is history.
It can be argued that MCU was going for the same thing when trying to cast Carol Danvers. After all, Carol is one of the most powerful women in the Marvel universe who is known for being powerful and outspoken. In the comics, Carol is known for standing up to far stronger enemies and always coming out on top by sheer perseverance.
Brie embodied this role. Part of her appeal to MCU must have been the dedication she puts into each character of hers. In ‘Room’, she spent the whole year preparing her mind to get into the role of a trapped woman in space.
She brought the same energy to ‘Captain Marvel.’ Training with Jason Walsh, a trainer who has worked with A-list Hollywood stars, she ended up getting into fighting shape. By the end of her training, she was lifting 275 lbs!
Carol’s character is about persistence and womanhood. And despite being review-bombed by male trolls, Brie held up remarkably well, as outlined in this “Inverse” article. Reviews greeted Brie with harassment akin to that of the Comicsgate and Garmergate movements.
So, Brie held up and turned in a unique MCU performance, something that would hold itself outside of the cinematic universe. Now an integral part of the MCU, Brie Larson response to ‘Captain Marvel 2’ news has been that she has been an essential part of the decision-making and directing choices.
Who but Brie?
Heavy-weights like Emily Blunt and Natalie Dormer were in the running for being Captain Marvel. However, Marvel had its heart set on Brie in the MCU.
Though there is merit in the idea that Jennifer Lawrence, with her acting chops and history of superhero films, would be a better choice than Brie for ‘Captain Marvel’. Brie is the perfect choice for being the activist person who holds up her own against a lot of resistance.
Though fans of the comic franchise have been harsh towards Brie, it could be argued that the same thing would’ve come for any actress. The critical point about Brie’s turn as the character is that she pulled out an outstanding performance. And, as an actress, there’s nothing more you should want out of her.
Brie had a moment of reluctance when it came to being in the MCU.
However, as someone who persists against all odds, she has come out on top. Sticking to her beliefs and doing her own thing despite her new-found popularity is a show of character hard to find in Hollywood. Brie is the perfect choice for ‘Captain Marvel’, and she should be doing this superhero shtick more going forward.
