Credit: Marvel StudiosIn a surprising move, Marvel Studios almost killed off Brie Larson in The Marvels (2023). This would have resulted in a much different Marvel Cinematic Universe if they did.
Directed by Nia DaCosta, The Marvels was an underappreciated action film that massively benefited from its short runtime, entertaining action sequences, and talented cast, which included Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau, Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Zawe Ashton as Dar-Benn, and Park Seo-Joon as Prince Yan.
Despite this, the film was plagued with poor box-office performance due to an inability to truly market the film because of the actors’ and writers’ strikes, as well as a vigilant online campaign to bring the movie down. Eventually, it became the lowest-grossing film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Related: “Gotta Spread The Wokeness,” Marvel’s New Announcement Gets Bombed Online
Fortunately, the film soon found success on Disney+, quickly becoming the number-one film on the streaming platform, a title it has held for most of February. At the same time, public opinion for The Marvels pulled a complete 180, with some fans shocked that it received such negative press when it was in theaters.
Now, fans are looking for any morsel of the film they can get, including additional footage of a movie that was under two hours long. One of these deleted scenes would have changed the MCU forever.
Brie Larson Originally Died at the End of ‘The Marvels’
Related: Beloved Marvel Actor Tragically Dies at 49
In an appearance on the Phase Zero podcast for ComicBook.com, Zawe Ashton, who played The Marvels villain Dar-Benn, revealed that the film originally had a much more tragic ending for our lead hero.
“There was another ending that we did film where Brie and myself are kind of in space still having it out, and they kind of combust together, which was really amazing. And that was just a day on wires hanging out with Brie, which is surreal and fun. But yeah, there were a few different plans, I think.”
So not only was the entire final fight between Captain Marvel and Dar-Benn removed…
But the fight was supposed to end with the both of them killing each other ☠️pic.twitter.com/ZLTA8VEnxm
— Monkey D. Hernandy (@hernandy_s) February 21, 2024
Ashton continued:
“There was always going to be an epic death just because in terms of, I just think in terms of just bringing that story psychologically for Carol to a close I think was always the best thing.”
While there hasn’t been any footage released of the scene they filmed, Ashton did reveal that water would have been involved in the alternate ending, saying, “I will say I did a day’s diving training because there was going to be a lot of water involved in the original death.”
Why We Need Brie Larson in the MCU
As any Marvel Comics fan will tell you, the MCU is in a place of turmoil and transition. Not only have they justifiably moved away from Jonathan Majors’ Kang, but the three main “leaders” of the Avengers, Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), and Thor (Chris Hemsworth), are ready to move on. Other characters need to take on these leadership roles.
Both characters have moved on, and Marvel needs to fill those slots with new blood. While Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) is stepping into the Captain America role and Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) will likely take over from Stark, it’s much more questionable who would take on Thor’s mantle.
Related: ‘Deadpool 3’ Cuts Two Fan-Favorite Characters
The obvious answer is Carol Danvers. Not only is she more attached to Earth than the Asgardian, but she also fills a similar niche. Sam Wilson takes on the military/super soldier angle, Richards fills in for being a scientific genius, and Captain Marvel is the god-like being with immeasurable power. It makes sense.
Fortunately, it looks like fans don’t have to worry about this now since Brie Larson is under contract for at least three more movies, including both of the upcoming Avengers films. While Captain Marvel 3 seems a bit unlikely now, her presence cannot be denied.
What if Captain Marvel Did Die in ‘The Marvels’?
Captain Marvel’s death would have enormously affected the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only would the Avengers have lost its most powerful member, but there really isn’t anyone who could potentially step into her position as leader.
Neither member of The Marvels could have stepped in. Kamala Khan is far too young to take on that much responsibility, and she is about to be the leader of the Young Avengers. On the other hand, Monica Rambeau has the powers and maturity to take on the role but is too ingrained in the military. Not only should this leader be more of a free spirit, but the military experience is already covered by Sam Wilson.
The best answer is probably Shang-Chi (Simi Liu). Although relatively young, he’s not as young as Kamala Khan. He has excellent combat experience and has proven that he can face a world-ending scenario and keep his cool. Plus, his Ten Rings are unbelievably powerful, separating him from other heroes. Given some more time to grow, he could soon be an essential figure in the Avengers.
So who else could step in? Two of the obvious answers, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), are “dead.” Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) could work, but he seems more focused on being Sorcerer Supreme despite losing the mantle.
Related: The 11 Best MCU Villains
While others would likely point toward Spider-Man (Tom Holland) or any member of the X-Men, they would likely be more focused on their own teams than the Avengers, especially since it’s speculated that Spider-Man is going to be a more ground-level hero like Daredevil (Charlie Cox).
Finally, the main reason Carol Danvers needs to live is because Brie Larson is fantastic in the role. While there are vocal critics online about the character, the issue is very rarely with her performance; it is more about how she’s presented in the story. Currently, Larson is one of the most compelling actors in the MCU and deserves the leadership mantle she is about to receive.
Which ending would you have preferred? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!