Brie Larson Comments on the Impact Captain Marvel Had on Her and the Negative Comments She Received: “I don’t think everything I say has to be a statement.”
Brie Larson is currently preparing for her West End debut in Elektra, performing a version of Sophocles’ tragedy translated by Anne Carson. She looks nothing like the sleek, blonde superhero from Captain Marvel. Her long hair is gone, replaced by a sharp buzz cut.
It’s a dramatic change from starring in billion-dollar Marvel blockbusters to embodying an ancient Greek heroine obsessed with revenge. But for Larson, it makes sense. Larson has spent nearly 30 years on screen, but this is her first major stage performance and she discussed the debut in a recent interview.
While the focus of the interview was the stage performance, she also answered some questions about her film roles, most notably Captain Marvel, and discussed the negative comments she has received in relation to that role.
Captain Marvel is the role that made Larson a household name. She had already done action movies like Kong: Skull Island, but stepping into the Marvel Cinematic Universe was different. She trained for months, physically and mentally, knowing the role would put her under a microscope. ‘I knew it would make me more public than ever,’ she says. ‘But I believed in the film’s message more than my own fear.’
What she didn’t expect was the backlash. Some corners of the internet erupted in anger, accusing Marvel of pushing an agenda. They flooded review sites with negative ratings before the movie was even released. The film still made over a billion dollars, but many believe Captain Marvel marked the beginning of the MCU’s decline.
Still, Larson is proud of it. ‘It changed my life,’ she says. ‘Usually, when a role is done, I move on. But Captain Marvel? I kept parts of her. Her confidence. Her independence. And it meant something to so many young girls, too.’
But when the topic shifts to the hate she received, the room goes cold. ‘Why do you think some men were upset about your casting?’ she’s asked. ‘I don’t know,’ she says flatly. ‘I don’t pay attention.’ There’s silence.
The interviewer pressed again, and after a pause, she answered, ‘By asking me about this, you’re tying me to something that has nothing to do with me.’ Her publicist quickly stepped in to change the subject.
Larson has spoken about sexism before. In 2018, she called for more diversity in film criticism, pointing out that the majority of critics were white men. But now, she seems uninterested in revisiting those fights. ‘I don’t think everything I say has to be a statement,’ she explained. ‘Sometimes I speak out, sometimes I don’t.’
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