San Diego Comic-Con 2016 has featured long line of fantastic surprises for its fans. Along with so much more, the new footage of Marvel’s Doctor Strange and DC Comics’ Wonder Woman were just few of the most recent unveilings. But the biggest piece of superhero news, something that had people weak in the knees, was the official casting of Oscar-winner Brie Larson as the iconic Captain Marvel. Over the past few months, there has been a wealth of rumors regarding the role. Actresses, both A-list stars and rising talents, seemed to be in consideration to possibly take on the Marvel heroine.
Regardless of the film not hitting theaters until 2019, it has still managed to garner widespread excitement with comic book lovers. Besides Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), the presence of female superheroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is currently quite slim. But this new origin story looks to change all that, and that comes directly from the heroine’s own comic writer Kelly Sue DeConnick. In recent interview with Vanity Fair, DeConnick discussed her thrill of having someone like Brie Larson play the character.
My dream casting—or the actor who is the voice in my head—is Kathleen Turner from about 1983. She could be both sexy and awkward and powerful. She could do all of those things at once. From what I can tell, Brie Larson can do those things too. She has a gravitas and she has a power to her. But you can see she also has a sense of humor and playfulness there. I’m psyched.
It’s never a sure bet that a devoted writer will be happy when their work is put onto the big screen. But DeConnick really seems like she’s not only happy, but confident in Larson to play Captain Marvel the right way. While the starring talent is the most important part to that actually succeeding, one of the supporting elements that can have just as big an impact is the look. And costumes in superhero movies have had their ups and downs over the years. While Ryan Reynold’s performance as the titular character in Green Lantern was well-received, his CGI costume was not. So, it’s integral that the costume be designed in a way that’s both faithful and believable. DeConnick went on to discuss the challenges that come with putting a comic book character onto the big screen.
What works in comic books and what works in live action is very different. You want to have a sense of that? Just walk around a comic-book convention. See the dudes who champion these very skimpy costumes judging women and berating them for wearing it in real life. What will work on the page and what will work in three dimensions is very different.
Since the film is years away, we probably won’t get a good look at Larson’s full costume for a long time. However, she’s perfect for the part after showing her diverse skills in everything from dark dramas like Room to the raunchy comedy 21 Jump Street. And with her officially joining the film, news of who Marvel chooses to direct the project should come soon.
Captain Marvel opens in theaters on March 8, 2019.
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