According to a new report, Brie Larson may have become disillusioned about her Marvel role thanks to toxic backlash from fans.
Larson - who is set to lead The Marvels as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel - has faced her fair share of critiques since joining the super-powered franchise.
For better or for worse, the comic book movie genre/popcorn franchise entertainment has become inundated by trolls.
In Larson's case, much of the criticism has come from, as her MCU co-star Samuel L. Jackson once put it, people "who hate strong women," with sexist comments being made about her hero, the movies she stars in, and the actor herself.
Brie Larson Could Be Souring on Her Marvel Role
As a part of the recently-released MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios author Joanna Robinson revealed Larson has "[grown] disillusioned" with working with Marvel Studios:
"The future of those Marvel icons was unclear. The departure of franchise anchors like Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Scarlett Johansson had already taken its toll, as had the shocking loss of Chadwick Boseman, but other MCU stalwarts were heading for the exits. The ‘Guardians of the Galaxy‘ cast went on a farewell tour, Brie Larson grew disillusioned, and Marvel tussled with Sony in a custody battle over Tom Holland."
"Disillusioned" is formally defined as having lost faith or trust in something formerly regarded as good.
On the online backlash the Carol Danvers actress has received since joining the franchise, Larson previously said, "I don’t have time for it:"
“I don’t have time for it. The things that I have extra time to really look at are, like, Am I eating healthy food? Am I drinking water? Am I meditating? Have I called my mom today?”
Despite Marvel seemingly wanting to build the future of the series on the backs of Captain Marvel, Spider-Man, and Black Panther, when asked about returning beyond the upcoming The Marvels movie, Larson responded, "Does anyone want me to do it again?:"
"Asked three years later if she’d want to return as Captain Marvel after the 2023 movie 'The Marvels,' Larson answered, 'I don’t know, does anyone want me to do it again?' Marvel had expected that Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and Spider-Man would be the trio of star characters leading the MCU into a new millennium, but that was no longer a future it could rely on."
While speaking on The Ringer's The Watch podcast, Robinson followed up her writing in the book, plainly remarking, "The toxic backlash means that Brie Larson doesn't want to play Carol Danvers anymore:"
"[Marvel Studios] put Brie Larson in [a prominent place in the MCU]. I don't know if Brie Larson was the wrong person for the role necessarily. But the toxic backlash means that Brie Larson doesn't want to play Carol Danvers anymore."
Will Brie Larson Leave the MCU?
Coming out of the upcoming The Marvels film, it will be interesting to see if Larson feels the same way about returning as Carol Danvers, or if she is done playing her Marvel superhero.
One thing that could keep the actress impassioned about the franchise is the idea of now being a mentor both on and off-screen.
Ms. Marvel actress Iman Vellani - who co-stars alongside Larson in the Captain Marvel sequel - could be just the first pupil to be mentored by Larson in the MCU, with maybe Larson's hero going on to lead the next generation of Avengers into whatever comes after the ongoing Multiverse Saga.
Perhaps while working on The Marvels, Vellani's enthusiasm for the source material rubbed off on the Captain Marvel star, giving her a renewed sense of passion for the series.
Larson once said that the comic book connection between her MCU character and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel was "a huge part of why [she] wanted to play Captain Marvel" in the first place, so - as silly as it may sound - Vellani's teenage superhero could be the key to getting Larson to stick around.
Brie Larson can next be seen in The Marvels which opens on Friday, November 10. MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios can now be purchased on Amazon.
