"Call Me Captain Marvel"
Monday, July 25, 2016 at 9:13AM Manuel here with what is arguably the most actressy news coming out of SDCC. The reigning Best Actress champ, one Ms Brie Larson will be joining the so-called MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) as Captain (née Ms) Marvel.
Brie was brought out during Marvel's panel at Comic Con where she got to join the casts of Dr. Strange (which boasts Oscar winner Tilda Swintin and nominees Benedict Cumberbatch and Chiwetel Ejiofor), Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 (which features Oscar nominees Bradley Cooper, Sylvester Stallone, and Glenn Close), and Black Panther (with Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o). That's all a long way of saying that the MCU is already stacked with Oscary talents. It's nothing new: after all, Iron Man starred 3 Oscar nominees and one winner back in 2008.
More on Brie's future after the jump
Call me Captain Marvel. pic.twitter.com/IgqRIb9ijM
— Brie Larson (@brielarson) July 24, 2016
My first thought upon hearing the news was, of course, to wonder whether we were losing our indie-darling Brie to the blockbuster. After all, the Room star was at SDCC to promote Kong: Skull Island—the King Kong reboot co-starring Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, and John Goodman that, from the trailer (see below) looks like it's Jurassic Park meets King Kong minus the Jessica Lange/Naomi Watts romance that's been a staple of the franchise.
And so, as Brie preps herself for what will surely be a decade or so stint in the MCU (playing badass Captain Marvel which will be Marvel's first female-led solo flm), I wanted to remind us here at TFE of three upcoming small-scale films starring the Oscar winner coming our way in the next few years.
Basmati Blues
Director: Dan Baron
By the far the biggest question mark in Brie's upcoming slate is this romantic musical comedy about a brilliant scientist coming to terms with how her genetically modified rice will be putting rice farmers in India out of work. Back when the film was first announced it was dubbed a "Bollywood musical" but a cast member suggests that the film features "everything from Pearl Jam to Sugarland, and a Broadway-style number" so who knows.
The Glass Castle
Director: Destin Cretton
Brie reteams with her Short Term 12 director alongside Woody Harrelson and Naomi Watts. It's based on Jeannette Walls' memoir of the same name and follows her upbringing by her nomad parents. As seen above, the film has been shooting in Montreal.
Free Fire
Director: Ben Wheatley
Wheatley follows up High-Rise with this gang shoot-out movie that sees Brie as Justine, the character who brokers a meeting between two warring gangs at a deserted warehouse. The film co-stars Cillian Murphy, Sharlto Copley and Armie Hammer.
While no release dates (or festival bows) are available for any of these, we can assume we might get to see them next year at the latest when surely Larson will have the biggest year of her career yet. And then, of course, we'll have Captain Marvel (2019!) and endless other MCU-adjacent cameos to look forward to. Here's hope she finds time to sneak in other interesting and off-kilter movies like the ones above.
Reader Comments (16)
I love Brie but I hate how Hollywood chooses their "it girl" of the moment and just sticks her in every project even if she's not right for it (best example: Jennifer Lawrence and at least half of her movie choices). Captain Marvel is veteran pilot, a woman with military experience, and has the chutzpah to face Captain America and Iron Man from equal to equal. It was an opportunity to actually hire a woman who isn’t the ingenue, at least someone not in her 20s. But they have their vices...what a miss.
She needs to take advice on what not to do from her Free Fire co-star Hammer, who lost himself in the Hollywood franchise system but recently seems to have charted his own unique path.
I hate this era
So happy she's back with Cretton before franchises steal her away! I'm curious to see how the book is adapted since most of the memoir has Brie's character very young.
When movie stars find success in blockbusters, they seem to get challenging projects greenlit more easily. Let's hope that's the path she's heading. Brie is such a gifted comedic actress. I think she'll fit in quite nicely with Marvel aesthetics.
It's just mad that we're talking about 2019 (!) movie right now.
"Captain Marvel is veteran pilot, a woman with military experience, and has the chutzpah to face Captain America and Iron Man from equal to equal. It was an opportunity to actually hire a woman who isn’t the ingenue, at least someone not in her 20s."
Yeah I would have preferred they cast someone older. Men in their thirties get these roles all the time but big superhero/action roles rarely go to women in their thirties. But I like Brie, I'm sure she will do a decent job.
I just hope Brie doesn't get the same internet shite that all young "good" actresses must contend with. "Build them up to tear them down." (But of course, internet chatter for good or ill isn't solely the domain of Hollywood...)
Jackie and V.: First off, though she is young, I don't think I'm comfortable identifying Larson as an "ingenue." She's not Katie Jarvis or young Sigourney Weaver, sure, but she's also not Carey Mulligan or Anne Hathaway either. Secondly, ideally, I'd imagine they'd do two things: 1. Play up a "prodigy" angle, where the character ran her first combat mission in the 15-17 area and 2. Explicitly identify her as a few years older than Larson's actual age. (Say 32-33 instead of 28-29.)
It is interesting that in my small group of friends, it was fairly divided but with an interesting gender divide. The women agreed with V. aka "too young. another ingenue!" while all of the men had no reservations and were all pretty much excited. I've roughly seem the same general gender divide with online reactions (but don't quote me on that). It's not hard to see why women would prefer an older actress for the part, but I think most everyone eventually accepts that at least Brie Larson is a good pick talent-wise. Can't wait to see what she does with the role.
I mean, by the time this movie is on DVD she'll be 30. so... anyway, i'll believe Marvel making a female led movie when I see it. There is still a lot of opportunity for them to chicken out since the movie's release is 3 years away.
I would have preferred Emily Blunt, but yeah she's a good choice.
I kind of agree with V though; this is J-Law all over again also with the eventual internet hatred.
Does Samuel Jackson has to literally be in every movie ever? Not complaining, but it's getting ridiculous.
Armie Hammer always gets me hot and bothered.
"There is still a lot of opportunity for them to chicken out since the movie's release is 3 years away."// They'll probably wait and see how "Wonder Woman" does.
Instead of this movie, the third Hulk movie could be filmed.
Nice!
Very interesting article. I have always been interested in this topic.