Brie Larson made a dramatic entrance into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2019 with Carol Danvers' superhero origin story Captain Marvel. The film exceeded expectations at the box office, making over a billion dollars, but the reception to the film was contentious amongst critics and fans.
The success of Captain Marvel meant a sequel was never far away and in 2023, The Marvels will see Larson's Carol Danvers fight alongside Teyonah Parris' Monica Rambeau and Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan. However, the negative comments that continue to plague Captain Marvel have been enough for Larson to question her future in the role.
The Marvels recently debuted its first footage at D23 and Larson took the opportunity to address how the sequel will be a turning point for her character.
A New Phase For Captain Marvel
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at D23, Brie Larson revealed that audiences will see "a new side of Carol" in The Marvels. The sequel will see her character "relinquish some of the control" and accept that she needs "help" and "support":
“Well, you get to see a new side of Carol where she has to learn to relinquish some of the control and realize that she makes mistakes and she needs support, she needs help. It’s the beginning of this new phase for her.”
Carol Danvers' "new phase", as Larson puts it, should hopefully address some of the criticisms her character received in Captain Marvel.
This added dimensionality to her character should alleviate reviewers' claims that her character wasn't "a particularly distinctive personality" in Captain Marvel.
A number of reviews drew comparisons between Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman, with The Wall Street Journal's review saying Larson's character lacked the "unforced warmth, along with strength, and flashes of delight" that Gal Gadot's character possessed.
Larson said in another interview recently that The Marvels will "dig into some more complexities" of her character which reveal that Carol is not a person who "makes every right decision all the time". Focusing on some of these flaws will hopefully bring that added element of relatability that may have been missing in Captain Marvel.
Backing up these claims is Larson's co-star Iman Vellani, who told reporters at D23 that the actress did "a wonderful job" at bringing "a lot more emotional complexity" to her character in The Marvels.
The Marvels Marks A Critical Change For Carol Danvers
Despite the criticisms Captain Marvel may have received, it's clear that Disney still has a lot of love for Carol Danvers. Larson has also proven she is adept at dealing with trolls and her role in the sequel will seemingly address the negative responses to her character's origin story.
Not to mention, the reception to The Marvels' footage shown at D23 has all been positive, with many pointing out the distinctive tone change between the two Captain Marvel movies. Some rumors even point to there being a musical element to the film, which would certainly mark a fun departure for Larson's character.
With all that being said, it seems that fans and critics alike have plenty of reasons to tune into The Marvels when it debuts in theaters on July 28, 2023.
