Marvel Fans Outraged At Brie Larson For NFT Promotion

By Liam Crowley Updated: August 31, 2022

While Captain Marvel has been fairly quiet within the Marvel Cinematic Universe since her surprise appearance in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the actress behind the character has not. Brie Larson has always been fairly active on social media, sharing behind the scenes images from production on her various films as well as showcasing her off-set ventures.

One of those off-set ventures recently took Larson to the world of non-fungible tokens. Commonly referred to as NFTs, these pieces of digital art are unique and irreplaceable, despite many joking that an NFT theft is one screenshot away. Anyone with a smart phone has the ability to make a photocopy of someone else's NFT; however, ownership of the specific NFT still lies within the original buyer.

In other words, anyone in Madripoor could've snapped a pic of one of Sharon Carter's various paintings, printed it, and displayed it in their home. That doesn't change the fact that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier star possesses the original.

The possibilities of what an NFT can be are virtually endless, but the most common comes in the form of digital art. Many view NFTs as the modern way to collect art, and the price tags reflect that. Just like priceless paintings, many NFTs are being sold for high seven figures.

Larson shared her recent NFT purchase on social media, and the response has been less than warm.

Brie Larson's NFT Promotion Receives Backlash

Marvel fans are about that superhero life, but the same can't be said for non-fungible tokens.

Captain Marvel actress Brie Larson took to Twitter to reveal her new profile picture, an NFT made by illustrator Varvara Alay:

This led to significant backlash from fans in the replies, many of which pointed to the environmental issues caused by the digital art.

"Omg, not you too. I don't know how many celebs need to hear this but - *takes deep breath* - NFTS & CRYPTO ARE HORRENDOUSLY BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, WORSE THAN THE ENTIRE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF SOME COUNTRIES, SO BAD IT'S TEARING KAZAKHSTAN APART IN CIVIL WAR. Please, PLEASE stop."

Others voiced their concerns about how NFTs make "art theft easier."

"I know you meant well considering the charities, but trust us, investing in NFTs isn’t a good idea. The amount of power required to preserve just one is quite harmful to the environment, and it’s made art theft easier to the point that many are afraid to post online anymore."

One addressed the "ponzi scheme" nature of NFTs and encouraged Larson to "do some research" before purchasing.

"You are being manipulated to pitch a ponzi scheme. This is very, very bad. Please do some research before you contribute to poor people becoming destitute. This is actively harming people. Its bad."

Another said this tweet was enough to dissociate with Larson.

"Friendship ended with Brie."

Some stressed that this was "her choice" and suggested Larson is being subjected to more criticism that other celebrities that have purchased NFTs.

"My God just because she bought an NFT so much is said… she is just another person.. let her be.. her choice .. Damn.. So many celebs have opted for NFTs in recent times .. haven’t seen so much backlash."

UPDATE:

Brie's NFT Tweet has been "ratioed" (more Re-Tweets than likes) on Twitter, proving that even the most die-hard Brie fans are not happy about her decision to support NFTs. With 9,000 likes and 15,000 re-tweets, this is one of the biggest ratios that a big star has ever received on Twitter.
After angering fans with her NFT post, Brie later posted a flattering picture of herself:

Many fans believed this picture was supposed to distract from her NFT controversy, which fans are not forgetting about.

This is not the first time a Marvel Studios actor has made a polarizing post on social media.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania star Evangeline Lilly recently shared a photo on Instagram in support of medical freedom with the COVID-19 vaccine. Despite Quantumania wrapping filming months ago, this particular post led to fans questioning Lilly's future within the MCU considering the issues that arose with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever actress Letitia Wright.

That said, Larson's NFT promotion stirred the pot for a very different reason.

What's The Issue With NFTs?

It may be just digital art on the surface, but the path NFTs take to get to owners causes worldwide damage.

Fans criticized Larson's tweet due to the fact that the cryptocurrencies that produce these non-fungible tokens generate millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions that heat the planet. Some have called these pieces of crypto-art an "ecological nightmare pyramid scheme."

Considering the immense platform of celebrities like Larson, many are concerned about the potential consequences that could come from A-Listers advertising NFTs. Larson has yet to respond to the backlash at this time.

Brie Larson's next outing as Carol Danvers is still over a year away, but the Captain Marvel sequel has already finished filming. Titled The Marvels to reflect the three lead nature of the film, MCU fans will see Larson's Captain Marvel unite with both Iman Vellani's Ms. Marvel and Teyonah Parris's Monica Rambeau in the present day.