Yesterday, I must admit, was a pretty fun day to be a comic book nerd. Marvel Studios and EW teamed up to do one of their patented “cover story followed by pictures followed by a million other things” stories about “Captain Marvel.” We already shared the cover and broke down the pictures, but there’s actually a pretty great interview with star Brie Larson and why she almost turned down the titular role.
You see, while many actors and actresses lobby in interviews for Marvel Studios to notice them and sign them up for a 10 film deal, and cement their place in pop culture royalty, Larson was hesitant. Not that she didn’t believe in the material, but for more honest and simple concerns.
“I never saw myself doing something like this, mostly because I like being anonymous,” she says. “I like disappearing into characters, and I always felt like if I was out in the public eye too much, it potentially limits you in the future.”
After initially turning down the year several years ago (presumably when Captain Marvel was to be introduced in Joss Whedon’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” before being cut), Larson still took months to decide whether now was the right time to sign her life away to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Ultimately, it was the content of the story, and the opportunity it allowed her, that pushed Larson to take the coveted role as the first solo leading lady in a Marvel Studios production. “Just seeing a character who says how she feels and says what’s on her mind and doesn’t let people stand in her way is incredibly empowering,” Larson says
She also admits that her first time trying on the incredible suit for the film made her immediately wonder, “Whoa, am I going to be a character at Disneyland?”
But it’s not just Larson’s on-screen credentials that make her right for the role, according to Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige. As an outspoken figure, for both #MeToo and Time’s Up, Larson has shown her penchant for standing for what she believes in. “She’s already an inspiration to many in her real-world work, and now we get to put her in an iconic costume and give her these powers on the big screen,” says Feige.
In addition to the idea of losing all anonymity and becoming a pop culture icon overnight, Larson also had to endure some pretty strenuous preparation for her superheroic role. Most notably, 9 months of training in different forms of combat, including Judo, as well as spending time with real-life fighter jet pilots, as her character, Carol Danvers, is a proud pilot herself.
“I was an introvert with asthma before this movie. I really thought when they hired me, ‘I am the worst choice for an action movie.’ And I didn’t know that I had a little Keanu Reeves in me! Who knew?” Larson says.
“Captain Marvel” hits theaters March 8, 2019.