Back in early June, reports surfaced that Oscar-winning actress Brie Larson had entered early talks to play Carol Danvers in Marvel Studios' highly-anticipated Captain Marvel. Just a few months earlier, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige teased that both the star and director of that project would be announced sometime this summer, with most expecting the reveal to be made at Comic-Con. Sure enough, Marvel Studios ended their panel on Saturday night by bringing out Brie Larson as the new Carol Danvers, which fans have been behind from the beginning. Earlier today, the actress sent out a heartfelt note expressing her thanks for all the support.
The news that Brie Larson has come aboard to play Carol Danvers resulted in a thunderous ovation from the Hall H crowd, as the recent Oscar winner joined the assembled Marvel Studios actors and filmmakers on stage for one star-studded selfie. The actress took to Instagram this morning to thank all the fans for accepting her as this beloved superhero, while thanking all of her new followers from this weekend. Here's what she had to say below.
"Woke up this morning thinking about the tidal wave of support I got this weekend. It was nerve-racking to trust fall into the Internet! I know who I am, but its wild how quickly you can forget once someone calls you something terrible. I was reminded how the acceptance of community is a deeply rooted need - but I don't want to live worried people will hate me because I'm myself! We should all have the freedom to be our authentic selves without fear or judgement. It's scary to chip away at all the hardness we coat ourselves with to protect that perfect little being inside. Yeah, people can be mean, but they can also be so many other wonderful things too. Let's make this place a safe space. No hate and more understanding. To the followers that are new: welcome! Sometimes I let people take over my Instagram to share their views of the world. That's coming up next. Thanks for joining us!"
Of course, anyone who has followed superhero movies over the past few years have seen the Internet get quite ugly over a few casting decisions. The casting of Ben Affleck as Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Michael B. Jordan as The Human Torch in Fantastic Four lead to quite a bit of hateful backlash from fans expressing their disapproval of those choices. This time around, however, there seems to be nothing but positivity swirling around the news that Brie Larson will star in Marvel Studios' first movie centering around a female superhero.
In related news, Brie Larson also took to social media to throw a playful jab at Captain America himself, Chris Evans, sharing a humorous meme featuring Barkhad Abdi's now-famous "I'm the Captain now" line from Captain Phillips. There have also been rumors that, since Captain Marvel doesn't hit theaters until April 8, 2019, Brie Larson's early casting may have been solidified so she could be introduced in Avengers: Infinity War, but that has not been confirmed. Another rumor surfaced earlier today that Tank Girl director Rachel Talaly is on the studio's short list to direct Captain Marvel, but that has yet to be confirmed. While wait for more on Captain Marvel, take a look at Brie Larson's Instagram photo and tweet below.