Brie Larson initially worried she’d make an unsuitable action star when she was hired to play Captain Marvel.
Producers from Marvel Studios confirmed the actress would be portraying the superhero back in June 2016, making her the first woman to play the title character in a Marvel movie.
The first photo of Brie suited up as Captain Marvel was released on Wednesday (05Sep18), in which she posed on the cover of Entertainment Weekly wearing a red and blue metallic costume as balls of energy radiated from her fists.
Though Brie certainly looks the part, she admitted in an accompanying chat with the publication that she had her reservations about taking on the role.
“I was an introvert with asthma before this movie,” she laughed. “I really thought when they hired me, ‘I am the worst choice for an action movie.’ And I didn’t know that I had a little Keanu Reeves in me! Who knew?”
Aside from physical capability, there was another more personal reason Brie was unsure about accepting the gig.
“I never saw myself doing something like this, mostly because I like being anonymous,” explained the 28-year-old, who won her first Academy Award in 2016 for her leading role in Room. “I like disappearing into characters, and I always felt like if I was out in the public eye too much, it potentially limits you in the future.”
However, Brie is now fully immersed in the iconic role, and having previously described Captain Marvel as “a symbol of strength” for women everywhere, she can’t help but admire the figure she is embodying.
“Just seeing a character who says how she feels and says what’s on her mind and doesn’t let people stand in her way is incredibly empowering,” she smiled.
