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Credit: Marvel StudiosBrie Larson started a new era in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) franchise with Captain Marvel (2019). As Carol Danvers, Larson played a military warrior programmed to be the ruthless Captain Marvel.
Unfortunately, Larson received an onslaught of sexist pushback for her role in the film. Male Marvel fans criticized her emotionless character, neglecting Danvers’ history in Marvel Comics as a trained soldier with a traumatic background. They also saw Larson as the beginning of the “M-She-U,” a more diverse film franchise with leading characters that aren’t straight white men.
Larson openly spoke out against white male movie critics. “I don’t need a 40-year-old white dude to tell me what didn’t work for him,” she said in a 2018 interview about her role in A Wrinkle In Time (2018). “It wasn’t made for him! I want to know what that film meant to women of color, to biracial women, to teen women of color.”
After male fans heard these comments, they tried to review bomb Captain Marvel. Larson responded in an interview, “What I’m looking for is to bring more seats up to the table. No one is getting their chair taken away. There’s not less seats at the table, there’s just more seats at the table.”
Few Marvel stars came to Larson’s defense while she underwent a slew of misogynistic harassment, and Twitter users haven’t forgotten. In a recent viral tweet, @fordhoIden called out Marvel stars for defending Chris Pratt when Buzzfeed jokingly called him the “Worst Chris” but remaining silent about Larson:
brie larson is frankly a lot nicer than i would be if the world’s biggest media company had thrown me to the wolves to be harassed by the most baby-brained misogynists on the face of the earth for half a decade and neither disney nor any of my coworkers stuck up for me!! idk!!
and then to have those same useless colleagues rally behind chris pratt because buzzfeed called him the lamest chris or whatever oooohhhh i would go nuclear
and then to have those same useless colleagues rally behind chris pratt because buzzfeed called him the lamest chris or whatever oooohhhh i would go nuclear
— kathleen (@fordhoIden) March 14, 2023
As fellow Marvel fans pointed out, only Don Cheadle, Samuel L. Jackson, and the late Chadwick Boseman spoke publicly in Larson’s defense. @milkylewinsky wrote:
the only ppl sticking up for her being chadwick don cheadle and sam l jackson yet when chris pratt got labelled boring the entire mcu flocked to his defense like….FOUL.
the only ppl sticking up for her being chadwick don cheadle and sam l jackson yet when chris pratt got labelled boring the entire mcu flocked to his defense like….FOUL.
— milk emoji (@milkylewinsky) March 14, 2023
“The fact that those 3 stuck up for her speaks VOLUMES,” @Goth__Siren said.
The fact that those 3 stuck up for her speaks VOLUMES
— Siren (@Goth__Siren) March 15, 2023
Despite her critics, Larson went on to reprise her role as Captain Marvel in Avengers: Endgame (2019), the post-credit scene of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), and the Disney+ show Ms. Marvel, which aired in 2022. Rumors have suggested that Larson has left the MCU, but the actress has not confirmed her departure.
In the comments, share your thoughts on Brie Larson and Marvel with Inside the Magic.