'It's a big change for everybody and I wasn't sure if it was the right thing for me.'
Playing a superhero in the DC or Marvel universe is basically a surefire catapult into worldwide success, a pool of money and hopefully a lucrative multi-film contract - however the level of fame is something that can be daunting to take on. Marvel newcomer Brie Larson revealed that that was initially a reason why she was nervous about taking on Captain Marvel, as she didn’t want to ‘burden’ anybody around her.
She told Associated Press, ‘There was a lot about [playing Captain Marvel] that felt like a big decision. And it’s not just a decision for myself, it’s a big decision for my family and my partner and my friends. It’s a big change for everybody and I wasn’t sure if it was the right thing for me.’
Although Brie has been around Hollywood for a little while and starred in films like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, 21 Jump Street and Trainwreck, she’s been able to fly relatively under the radar. Even with an Oscar for Room under her belt, she’s always kept a low profile and while she’s currently been a vocal advocate for diverse representation in Hollywood - her personal life has mostly stayed out of it.
She continued, ‘I never want to make artistic decisions that will feel like a burden or would take me away from the parts of my life that I find fulfilling. So Marvel was super patient and allowed me a lot of time to think it over.’
Given that there’s a huge theory that Brie’s Marvel character will star in the next Avengers film, it seems like she’s going to be a major player in the universe. (If you haven’t seen it yet: skip onto the next paragraph as we’re about to launch into spoiler territory.) Basically at the end of Infinity War after half the world gets dusted, Nick Fury is caught sending a message on a pager that’s decorated in Captain Marvel’s iconic costume colours. The prevailing theory is that he’s sent a message back in time to her so that she can help stop the events of Infinity War from unfolding. Which, would be a total trip.
However, Marvel is notoriously strict on keeping any spoilers about the franchise from leaking. In fact, when Mark Ruffalo spoiled Infinity War last year, it seemed like both he and Don Cheadle were nervously looking round for a red dot and sniper to take them out before they could say anything further.
Benedict Cumberbatch, who’s a deft hand at keeping spoilers out of the press after his time on Sherlock and The Hobbit, also seems to have been deemed Tom Holland’s caretaker on the press circuit - hilariously shouting over young Spidey when he’s about to blurt something important.
Brie had another tactic however, as she said, ‘I sort of told Marvel that I wanna know as little as possible, so when friends ask, I don’t feel like I have to lie. I can just be like: I don’t know, I have no idea.’
Good plan, Brie. You can’t spoil what you don’t know.
Captain Marvel will be released in the US on March 18, 2019, however a British date has yet to be announced.
