Fans Have Noticed Brie Larson’s ‘Captain Marvel’ ’90s Hair Style

The world got its first look at Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel costume earlier today, and some fans are seeing one detail in a whole new light.

A series of set photos have been making the rounds online, which show Larson in a green-hued version of her superhero suit. While the photos have earned a wide array of responses – ranging from confusion about the green color, to excitement about Larson’s overall aesthetic as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel. But one detail has been jumping out to some fans – Larson’s 1990s hairstyle.

As fans discovered during last year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Captain Marvel would be set in the ’90s, providing fans with a look at a whole new era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And judging by these photos, the style of that era will carry over into Carol’s aesthetic, with multiple fans pointing out that Larson’s bob resembles the iconic “The Rachel” haircut.

“The Rachel” began around 1995, after Jennifer Aniston donned the haircut throughout the first two seasons of Friends. The popular, but practical bob haircut then became a sort of cultural phenomenon, with young women throughout the ’90s donning their own version of the haircut.

With that in mind, there’s certainly good reason for Carol Danvers to emulate some form of The Rachel in her solo film. Not only does it mirror her haircut in some issues of the comics, but it provides a pretty good cultural touchstone for audience members who might not be as familiar with Captain Marvel, but definitely do remember having The Rachel.

So, for those complaining about Larson’s “soccer mom hairdo” in these pictures, you probably have better things to worry about. After all, Larson has expressed that she’s more than aware of the fan response that any version of her Captain Marvel haircut would get.

“I feel like this is a big conversation,” Larson said in February of last year, “and every day I have people yelling at me on Twitter like you better have long hair, or you better have a mohawk, or you better wear the helmet, or you better not wear the helmet, so someone’s going to be mad.”

The ’90s setting for Captain Marvel – and what it could mean for the Marvel Cinematic Universe – has been a pretty big cause for speculation over the past half year or so. For one thing, Carol’s absence from the past twenty-or-so years of MCU proceedings will have to be explained in either her solo film or Avengers 4, with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige hinting that she could be somewhere in the cosmos.

The time period will also provide fans with some unique points in the MCU’s overall narrative, with a younger version of fan-favorite Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) having a key role in the film. And of course, the film will adapt Marvel Comics’ Kree-Skrull War storyline, which is sure to add a whole other angle to the future of the MCU.

Captain Marvel hits theaters on March 8, 2019.