Despite what ended up on-screen, it turns out Brie Larson's Avengers: Endgame look as Captain Marvel was not always supposed to be such a departure from what fans had seen before.
After appearing in her own solo movie (and being teed up at the end of Avengers: Infinity War), Larson's MCU hero came in to save the day in the Infinity Saga capper, sporting a totally different hairstyle and overall look than previously shown.
The character's hair had been cut short similar to Carol Danvers' traditional appearance in much of her Marvel Comics appearances.
This was a big change from the longer shoulder-length hair Larson's hero had been seen with in Captain Marvel and even at the start of Endgame.
And while the short hair made a brief appearance to close out that film, it has not stuck around with Captain Marvel looking to have grown her locks back out for her upcoming appearance in The Marvels.
Captain Marvel Wasn't Supposed To Change for Endgame
Photos from the production of Avengers: Endgame highlight how Brie Larson's Captain Marvel was not always supposed to look so different in her appearance in the film.
These glimpses behind-the-scenes show the actress wearing a different costume and sporting the longer haircut fans had come to expect from the character up to that point.
The actress can be seen alongside Endgame's expansive cast, rocking shoulder-length hair instead of the shorter undercut style that was ultimately seen in the film.
While the actress did have her longer haircut for parts of the film, a few of these snapshots come from filming the climactic final battle against Thanos' army, where she did have her new look in the final cut of the film.
On the subject of Carol Danvers' hair in the film, Endgame director Joe Russo told Slash Film that Larson had "[filmed Avengers: Endgame] before she filmed Captain Marvel" and was "experimenting with what the character was," thus the choice for the shorter look was made:
“She [filmed 'Avengers: Endgame'] before she filmed 'Captain Marvel,' and I think she was experimenting with what the character was. And those were the choices that she and her hair and makeup team had made. And I think as she started to gain a deeper understanding of the character, especially as she approached her own movie. She started to make different choices and as an artist she should be afforded that right to make whatever choice that she wants to make.”
Larson's Captain Marvel suit design was also altered during post-production of Endgame.
The behind-the-scenes image sees Larson in a color-swapped costume, missing the dark blue gauntlets seen in the final cut of the film.
And, apparently, this was not a decision made lightly. In a conversation with Collider from 2020, directing duo Joe and Anthony Russo lamented that the conversation over Captain Marvel's hair in the movie "was a long [one]" lasting "several month[s]."
Why Did Captain Marvel Cut Her Hair?
Carol Danvers' Endgame hair has been the subject of much fan speculation ever since the film hit theaters back in 2019.
But there has been no good reason as to why the massive change happened and then was almost instantly walked back on.
The closest thing fans have gotten is this Joe Russo quote mentioning Brie Larson's "experimenting with what the character was." Larson was only just starting to dive into her Marvel hero when she filmed her scenes in Endgame and, as Russo said, "as she started to gain a deeper understanding of the character," she "started to make different choices" for the character.
If at that moment with the short hair, she had felt like, "This is Captain Marvel," then perhaps she would have stuck with the different look.
But because things were filmed out of order and the first time fans saw her in the MCU was with her longer, shoulder-length look, the Endgame change felt like such a departure from what had come before.
Brie Larson's Captain Marvel can next be seen in The Marvels, which is set to hit theaters on November 10.
