United States Air Force Thunderbirds to Do Flyover of ‘Captain Marvel’ Premiere

As part of her preparation for the role of Carol Danvers in Marvel’s upcoming Captain Marvel, Brie Larson spent time not only visiting Nellis Air Force Base but working with the late Maj. Stephen Del Bagno to learn more about what it means to be a fighter pilot. Now, to celebrate the premiere of the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe film, the United States Air Force Thunderbirds will be doing a flyover at the film’s premiere.

According to Airshow News, the demonstration squadron will fly their signature Delta formation over the Captain Marvel premiere in Los Angeles around 5:30 p.m. Pacific time. Earlier in the day, the Thunderbirds will conduct a practice of the flyover as well as fly over Maj. Del Bagno’s parents’ home just north of Los Angeles.

The flyover stems from the Thunderbirds’ connection with Captain Marvel and Larson following the tragic death of Maj. Del Bagno last spring. The pilot had recently joined the Thunderbirds before his death in an accident while performing a series of training maneuvers. Maj. Del Bagno was a skilled veteran pilot who had served as an F-35A evaluator in the Air Force before joining the Thunderbirds. He was also a consultant on Captain Marvel, and when remembering Maj. Del Bagno after his death, Larson said that there would simply not be a Carol Danvers without him.

“You were a brilliant pilot and an even better person,” Larson wrote last April. “Thank you for inspiring me to work harder and live fuller. When you talked about the Air Force; the adventure, the rituals, the community – I felt your passion and purpose. Your humble attitude and ideals have stayed with me and inspired a stronger approach to my work. There is no Carol without you. You helped create her and I am forever grateful. I hold the call sign you gave me with your fellow pilots and Thunderbird brothers with pride.”

Set in 1995, Captain Marvel is Marvel Studios’ first female-led standalone superhero movie, exploring a largely unexplored era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s world. Centered around cosmic “noble warrior hero” Danvers and her efforts to protect Earth after the planet is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races, Danvers’ Air Force past is an important part of her story. Getting the character right — both in terms of her Air Force ties as well as in terms of what the character of Captain Marvel means to so many people — is something that Larson previously told Variety made her initially hesitant to sign on.

“It requires so much physically, and it’s a lot longer shoot, and there’s also the pressure because this is a character that is incredibly inspiring to people and means a lot. So you just want to get it right,” Larson said back in 2017.

“Ultimately, I couldn’t deny the fact that this movie is everything I care about, everything that’s progressive and important and meaningful, and a symbol I wished I would have had growing up.”

Captain Marvel soars into theaters March 8th.