BREAKING: Brie Larson in Talks For Lead Role in Captain Marvel
STOP THE PRESSES. WE HAVE CAPTAIN MARVEL NEWS.
Variety reports with an exclusive:
After her Oscar-winning turn in “Room,” Brie Larson may be ready to step into the shoes of Marvel’s most popular female superhero.
Sources tell Variety Marvel is in early talks with Larson to play Captain Marvel in the studio’s standalone project. It is unknown where things stand in negotiations but sources have told Variety she is the choice and Larson is leaning towards playing the part.
Marvel had no comment on the story.
Variety reiterates there is currently no director signed on but you may recall my article which pointed to Emily Carmichael possible circling the gig. Marvel’s Kevin Feige has said they don’t have a strict edict for the film having a female director. [Update: The Hollywood Reporter says “names like Niki Caro (Whale Rider, McFarland, USA) and Jennifer Kent (The Babadook) surfacing as contenders” to direct.] [Update #2: I’ve gone more in depth about the directors at HitFix Harpy.]
I’ve been impressed with Larson from what I’ve seen her in but I can’t say she was on my shortlist (she’ll next be seen in Kong: Skull Island opposite Marvel star Tom Hiddleston). However, it’s nice to see some movement finally happening here considering how long we’ve been waiting for a female-led Marvel film. I predicted we’d get the big announcement at San Diego Comic-Con this year and that could still be true.
You may recall Larson already starred in a comic book film – 2010’s Scott Pilgrim vs. the World as Envy Adams. What do you think of the prospect of Larson playing Carol Danvers?
here is a good post that explains how this like isn’t good well with also research
http://chandri.tumblr.com/post/145324213665/arnold-is-still-playing-the-terminator-at-70
the main thing is, it makes her inferior to the men. Not their equal, but their junior, and thats not ok
As others have said, and I agree with, she does seem a little young. Aside from the serious problems Hollywood has with actresses and their age. I initially thought Brie was too young to be an Air Force Captain, which is most likely the rank she’ll have in her MCU debut. Especially since I tend to forget that Captain is a lower rank in the Army and Air Force than it is in the Navy. However, I did some quick research and found I was wrong, while the average age of a US Air Force Captain is about 31ish, it is also often the rank an officer will hold the longest, usually around 10 years, and first attained while they are in their mid twenties. So she is age appropriate for an Air Force Captain, though I personally would still have liked Danvers to be a more seasoned Air Force officer.
shes not a captain though, she’s a colonel
She was of a higher rank than Captain in her first introduction, as I recall – specifically a Major. Currently, though, she’s a full Colonel, and making her anything less for the movies is a demotion.
Saw someone suggest Amber Heard for this…I assume they were being topical. But also, I liked that idea. And I liked the idea of Charlize Theron. Brie Larson…*shrug* Alright, then. She’s an actor who can act good. Here we go!
So last night after my brother told me this I made twenty dollars in tips
I’m not saying they’re related, but they’re related.
Okay, just hear me out. Hear me out. Julia Louis-Dreyfus….as Jessica Drew. I thought of it as I was watching her do some comedy. She just has this no-nonsense air about her.
Ever since I saw someone saying this, I can’t unsee it: Sarah Shahi as Jessica Drew! It’s even more perfect when you find out that Shahi and Krysten Ritter are old friends in real life ^_^
(and, until we know more about Jessica Jones’ S2, I’ll keep dreaming that Sarah will be cast and Drew will make her first appearance there)
-looks her up- Awwww, she would have been Nancy Drew!
I stand by my fan casting of Anna Torv and Jasika Nicole as Carol Danvers and Monica Rambeaux respectively, but I would take this too.
I hope so! She’s a fantastic actress and would actually make me a lot more excited to see the film!
Now I really need to get around to watching Room because right now I’m like, hay, what’s the big deal about Brie Larson, guise. In any case, hope we get some more contenders in the running, because this is exciting. :)
Room, Short Term 12, United States of Tara, Scott Pilgrim… Watch all of her stuff. She’s great.
I saw her in Scott Pilgrim, but I’m not sure if that was the best example (at least for me) because there as so many great people in that movie that she didn’t stand out as much to me. Room is #1 on my to-watch list now, though.
I had the same experience. I saw her in Scott Pilgrim first and I liked her character, but it’s wasn’t out of the ordinary. I became a big fat fan after watching United States of Tara and rewatching Scott Pilgrim since falling in love with her makes her stand out more.
Make sure you watch Room on a day when you’re feeling very centered and happy and have lots of tissues. It’s hard to watch. But it’s one of those rare hard to watch movies that you want to watch again.
Just prepare yourself, Room is a really tough thing to watch emotionally.
I was hoping for an older person, though I am sure she is very talented and would do very well. But it is a little disappointing.
She’s a bit young to be playing the part which is the one exact thing I didn’t want from the casting of the role.
Oh interesting i only really know her from Scott Pilgrim. This will continue the theme of the actors of Scott’s enemies being super heroes lol
While, personally, I would have preferred an actor a little bit older, if Larson really gets it, I know she will do an amazing job. She was freaking good in Room (a really terrific movie, btw).
Maybe they will do an origins movie? It definitely sounds like something Marvel would do.
Anyway, now I just hope the script is great too.
I know almost nothing about Captain Marvel, but just a thought: if they cast someone on the youngish side now, she’ll be able to play the character for decades to come. https://cdn.meme.am/instances/500x/21467379.jpg
they could cast someone old enough and still have sequels
they did with Iron Man and look at how many films he has been in
True, but there’s also been rumors of Downey retiring since before Iron Man 3. Realistically we’ll get maybe fifteen years of his Tony Stark, but with a young Captain Marvel there’s the potential to keep her around for three decades. But again, I’m unfamiliar with Captain Marvel and so don’t know how big a factor her age is to her characterization.
its kind of really important that shes equal to the other heroes, not junior or looking up to them, but a military officer who was of similar or higher status to them even before she got her powers.
Like thats the whole reason for why her instead of any of the other female superheroes. Cos she’s not a female superhero who is in inferior to the ‘big boys’ but that, shes just as important as them
and if they make her younger, just starting off, then that just reduces her?
and like, in meta, says the men are more important
So Larson is 26, while Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie) is 32, Evangeline Lilly will be 38 when she makes her debut as the Wasp, and Pom Klementieff (Mantis) is 30. How old is Elizabeth Olsen? Is Larson the youngest MCU heroine? (Though she’ll be 28 when the movie is out I guess).
Olson is 27? I think an article said that
How old was ScarJo in Iron Man 2?
Born in ’84, IM2 was 2010. So about 26.
guise wot if we get a solo Valkyrie movie in Phase 4?? am I dreaming too big?
I am at the very least hoping they make her an Avenger.
As a side note, am I the only one slightly sad that we’re not getting a Valkyrie who is of about the same height as Hemsworth?
That doesn’t particularly bother me. A black woman in the MCU is a long time coming.
Oh, no disagreement there. Let’s just say my Spectrum fancasting has been… Persistent.
You know, another way to look at this: If Robert Downey Jr. can do Iron Man 1 at 42/43, why does Carol need to be in her mid-twenties?
Because Hollywood. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
But seriously though, I don’t think anyone here disagrees with you, they easily could have cast older.
I’m just ranting, because I’ve been worried about this for a while. Sorry if it’s coming off aggressively.
i totally get it. if it had been a male with Carol’s origin story, someone this young wouldn’t have been considered.
I adore Brie Larson. She’s younger than I would have chosen, but if she gets it, I have no doubt that she’ll be great. And honestly, by the time they get around to actually filming, she’ll be closer to the right age anyway.
I haven’t heard of anything that Niki directed and I really dislike The Babadook. But, I’ve never let the director influence my interest in an MCU movie before.
She’s too young.
No, seriously: Carol couldn’t reach her rank of Major or Colonel in her twenties. From what I’ve been able to find, it’s not at all possible. Can we please get an actress who actually could fit that role?
This is Marvel, they love origin stories. Sad as it makes me, she likely won’t be at that rank in the first film.
That would be very wrong to me, if only because her superhero career is supposed to be after her military career – that compression would really bother me…
And I wouldn’t mind seeing an origin story for her, but I kind of feel like her origin story comes long before she gets her powers?
like its important she’s a hero
with many achievements, before she gets her powers
that shes not made by her powers, that she got there without them first
If you could write the Captain Marvel film, what would happen?
Funny you should ask. I wrote sort of a Capt. Marvel origin story on the Treehouse, but I don’t have the link for that right now.
In it, the Kree are secretly on Earth trying to study the Inhumans as contractors for the (whoever SHIELD works for). As part of it, they take on Carol as a security agent so that they can exploit her military connections.
Cool!
She fights Moonstone, who survives to form the Masters of Evil with Zemo.
She and former SHIELD now SWORD agent Jessica Drew have been running ops in space to protect against space threats (she is the US military liaison officer or something? maybe the commanding officer), so far its pretty much just been other earth nations doing stuff in space
Then the Kree something something arrives, dangerous stuff happens, she powers up, stops the kree, saves the world? Maybe the Brood? but a Kree Sentry or Yon Rogg or someone would be best?
Hard to think of things to fit into the MCU but I think that works?
Carol Danvers (probably a captain) is one of the military personnel stationed at an outpost where a Kree Sentry is being studied, and she finds out that an eccentric liaison named Philip Lawson is actually an undercover Kree Spy named Mar-Vell. She beats the crap out of him and throws him in the brig (no small feat); during his imprisonment he tells her why he’s here as a spy: Thanos is poised to take over the Earth (see Avengers Infinity War Part 1), and the Kree want to recover their relics before Thanos can get a hold of them.
Yon-Rogg’s Kree squad arrive, but not to rescue Mar-Vell; Yon-Rogg has allied himself with Thanos, and Mar-Vel knows this. Carol helps Mar-Vell fend them off. In the process, she gets zapped, and he is mortally wounded. Carol discovers she has obtained Mar-Vell’s powers in some kind of transfer, and she uses them to fight off the Kree squad, avenge Mar-Vell, and take the fight to Yon-Rogg’s occupying force. Badassery ensues, and she also uses Mar-Vell’s intel about Yon-Rogg to drive a wedge between Yon-Rogg and Thanos, weakening the invasion force in a way the Avengers can take advantage of in Infinity War Part 2.
At the end of the movie, she decides to honor Mar-Vell by joining the Avengers and using the nickname she’d been calling him (first a mispronunciation, then a running joke to needle him, and finally an affectionate nickname): Marvel. Captain Marvel.
-claps-
I feel that Carol should be in her mid 30’s. Old enough to be experienced, but young enough to still be a field agent. That’s why I like Katee Sackhoff for her.
I fancasted Katee Sackhoff right from the start. I would also have been fine with Jessica Chastain, or even Emily Blunt.
If we assume she joined at 21 after graduating, and that she came up through the ranks relatively quickly be sheer force of awesomeness, mid 30s puts her at the right age for Lieutenant Colonel or maybe even full Colonel (the rank she reached in the comics before leaving the Air Force).
I admit, my first choice was Amy Poehler. She’s funny and tough.
Plus, it would bring the MCU one step closer to a Parks And Recreation reunion.
A Parks and Rec reunion with superheroes needs to be based out of the Daily Planet. I vote we aim for it with Supergirl.
Planets And Recreation
I’ve been trying to find the mean age of Air Force Captains and while I can’t find anything from the military (after searching for about 2 minutes), other sources say late 20’s early 30’s. I love her and I’m sure she’ll be great. I don’t think she’s exactly right for Captain Marvel (Kathryn Winnick forever) but I guess I can’t complain about her being too young to play a Captain.
I always leaned toward Winnick or Emily Blunt. Larson is a great actor though.
Winnick, Blunt, and Jessica Chastain were my top three, but Brie Larson was in my second tier. I’m happy.
Oh yeah Chastain would be great too. And Charlize.
The ranks people are generally using for judging this are Major and Colonel – the O-4 to O-6 band, basically. Which puts average years of service at between 10 to 22, depending on which of those ranks we’re talking about.
The idea of demoting her to be able to cast a younger actress bothers me.
I can see that, but she didn’t start out as Colonel in the comics, did she? Demoting her isn’t ideal, but Brie will still be great.
She’s still young for a Major.
But not a Captain. I’m torn because on the one hand I 100% agree with you, they should have cast someone older, but on the other, I like Brie Larson. I’m probably too excited that we’re FINALLY getting some Captain Marvel news to be objective.
If they cast her as Songbird for the villain or something, I’d be 100 percent down.
I would definitely get behind that.
great. now, i won’t be able to get out of my head what a perf Songbird she would be!
Winnick was my personal hope for this role.
Kathryn Winnick!!
Whaaaaaaaat, she is sooooooo younnngggggg
She’s way too young? like decades?
playing Danvers in the flashbacks?
She’s 26 now and I wouldn’t be surprised if they signed her on for 10 years of projects. Likely she’ll do an origin story in the first film.
But isn’t 26 too young for someone to have reached Carol’s rank in the military, much less have done… Anything else?
Unless they just change that part of her origin, which they might. I’d rather they didn’t but they could. I don’t think anyone save Iron Man has had a 100 percent faithful origin retelling.
Yeah, but it’s more than just changing her origin at that point – huge swaths of the character have to be rewritten for that change. Doing that to the character just so they can cast someone who Hollywood doesn’t consider to be past her “expiry date”, which is a lot of what this feels like… Gah.
I need to calm down about this.
Like I said, it’s not ideal, but I don’t think her being a Colonel is so integral that you CAN’T POSSIBLY make the movie without it.
It’s not so much about the rank as it is the experience – all the things she’s done and been before she gets her powers.
In my mind, the particulars aren’t as important. As long as she’s distinguished and a hero in her own right before she gets the powers, I don’t think her specific service record needs to perfectly match the comics.
But at 26, she’s MAYBE been in the Air Force for 5 years. Maybe. I don’t know that that’s long enough for her to have that kind of history, and even then it would be for only one thing. Part of what’s interesting about her background is just how much there is to her – the fact that she’s been a combat pilot, and an intelligence officer, and chief of security at very important high security facilities…
That’s assuming she’s the same age as her actress. Hollywood has an unfortunate tendency to give parts for older women to actresses who are significantly younger (see most of Jennifer Lawrence’s dramatic career). And even if they are going with her exact age, Captain Marvel isn’t out until 2018.
Like I said before, I never honestly expected they’d adapt her entire backstory beat for beat. Everyone’s had big liberties taken so far.
It’s not so much liberties I’m worried about, as I am out and out cutting it down.
And without something to suggest otherwise, I’m gonna assume the character and performer are the same age, in general. And that unfortunate tendency is something I was really hoping wouldn’t show up in this case.
Well, like I said, I don’t think they were ever gonna have all her various roles in this backstory anyway. 28 is still young but I’d be fine with them saying she is decorated and has a distinguished service record and accomodations for heroism on the battlefield.
28 is still possibly only 5, because I’m usually finding 23 as the average age for an officer to join up. But let’s assume Carol joins as soon as she graduates college. That’s still pushing it for her to even make Major (averaging at 10 years of service), and we’re still in this place of demoting the character to cast a younger actress when a character who is her peer in the comics gets to keep his rank in the movies (For the sake of reference, Terrence Howard was ~38/39 for Iron Man 1; Cheadle is about 4/5 years older than he is. As I recall, he’s a full Colonel in the MCU, which has an average of 22 years of service).
I get what you’re saying. I’m just saying I personally have bigger qualms with the character’s potential portrayal than her military record.
I suppose I’d say that I’m worried that it’s a sign of what else they might do?
its just like important that she is someone important, and someone who is already a hero and has already achieved great things, before she gets her powers
like it doesn’t have to be an exact rank but like, she can’t be just starting
I do kind of want her to be at the same rank as Rhodey, just for the sake of character relationships. Also, I really want that one joke about her outranking Captain America to come up at some point.
also, her and rhodey are kind of comparable backstories, and if he was allowed to keep his she should be allowed hers
Very much this.
And it’s not like she’s very obviously not the same age, she could reasonably pass for someone in their early 30’s.
It’s not like Fant4stic where they make the astronomical claim that Miles Teller and Jamie Bell are high school age, and that they were prebubescent in goddamn 2007 (which, by the way, looks more like 1980 than 2007 but whatever)
She’ll also be 30 by the time her movie actually comes out, womp womp.
“Decades”
This is probably the jaded cynic in me, but I never for even a moment entertained the idea that they’d actually cast someone in her 40’s. My top pick was Charlize Theron and I was still sure that probably wasn’t gonna happen given the ageism towards women in the industry.
As long as the movie is good.
Hrm. My only complaint is that she seems a bit young for the role =
Hrm. My only complaint is that she seems a bit young for the role =
Oh, I like this choice a lot. I’ve only seen her in Room, but she had such a great kind of ferocity in that role. I can totally see her as Carol.
Envy Adams as Captain Marvel?
I accept this.
Starring opposite…
“That’s actually hilarious.”