Brie Larson Was Unsure About Taking ‘Captain Marvel’ Role

Becoming part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe can be a life-changing experience for actors cast in the hugely successful superhero films. So, life-changing that Brie Larson was unsure if accepting the role of Captain Marvel was right for her.

Larson spoke with the Associate Press the Women In Film Crystal + Lucy Awards gala earlier this week and revealed that when it came to deciding to take on Marvel’s next major hero, she wanted to make sure that she was making a choice that would be right not just for her, but those close to her as well.

“There’s a lot about it that felt like a big decision and it’s not just a big decision for myself, it’s a big decision for my family and my partner and for my friends,” Larson said about choosing to become involved with the MCU. “It’s a big change for everybody and I wasn’t sure if it was the right thing for me.”

She went on to say that, ultimately, Marvel gave her the time she needed to decide — something that let her fully embrace the role.

“I never want to do, make artistic decisions that will feel like a burden or that 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 and then once I felt like I had made the right decision which was doing it I got both feet in and I’m really happy.”

Taking on Captain Marvel was a big decision for Larson not just in terms of the exposure that starring in the first female-driven MCU film brings, either. Captain Marvel is by far one of Larson’s most physical roles in her career. While Larson starred in the action-heavy Kong: Skull Island, most of the characters’ screen time was spent running from CGI threats instead of taking them on physically, a big difference from Captain Marvel. To be physically ready to take on those cinematic fights, Larson had to work out hard to give herself physical strength. It’s something that she recently told Variety changed her view on her own inner strength as well.

“My highest right now is 215 lbs. in deadlifts. 400 lb. hip thrusts,” Larson said. “Being able to lift weight like that really changed my perspective and understanding of myself. I will say that I learned that I’m much stronger than I realize in playing her.”

Captain Marvel opens in theaters on March 9, 2019

Avengers: Infinity War is in theaters now. Other upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movies include Ant-Man and the Wasp on July 6th, the fourth Avengers movie on May 3, 2019, the Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel on July 5, 2019 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in 2020.