The Infinity Saga was marked by its ability to keep a core cast of heroes around for a full decade-stretch, with the constant presence of Robert Downey Jr., Chrises Evans and Hemsworth et al ensuring the MCU once felt like one big interconnected story. Sadly, the Multiverse Saga hasn’t quite been able to recapture that due to its expanded scope. Still, at least we can rely on the continuing involvement of such tentpole characters as Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel, right? Right??
For the longest time, even before The Marvels released and ended up bombing at the box office, there has been heavy speculation that Brie Larson could be on her way out of the MCU. Whether just because the actress is ready to embrace new challenges in her career or else because her experience has been soured by toxic backlash, depending on the rumor. That’s why it’s curious that Disney Plus’ The Making of The Marvels documentary ends on such a note of uncertainty, with Larson herself hedging her bets on her MCU future.
“Where this film ends, there’s a big question mark there with what this means for Carol,” Larson ruminated, when discussing what’s next for Captain Marvel. “There’s a lot in her heart that’s settled. There’s a lot in my heart that feels settled.”
Having said that, the actress stressed that she adores inhabiting the character of Carol, both in a personal sense and in being touched by how much she means to others.
“Every other character, when it’s over, I’m like ‘get it off!’ And this is the one where I’m like ‘I think I’m gonna keep this on a little bit longer,'” she explained. “And I’ve seen how this star, this symbol, has meant so much to so many people. And I would love to carry on that tradition of being able to be a part of it.”
Moreover, Larson then admitted that she’s aware the mantle of Captain Marvel will not end with her, which may simply be an indication that Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel is out there now or perhaps a hint that she’s open to another actress playing the role.
[But] also I understand that it’s not all mine, you know. Anyone can take that mantle,” Larson concluded. “And I also feel at peace with the fact that we’ve got this new school coming in. There’s new faces, new superheroes coming in and so I don’t know where Carol’s place is. I feel like I can rest in the fact that we got some amazing people to help take care of this universe.”
Could The Marvels really be Brie Larson’s final MCU appearance?
At present, there are no upcoming Marvel projects to have Brie Larson officially attached, although there’s obviously a big elephant in the room here — everyone’s expecting her to return for Avengers 5 (formerly known as The Kang Dynasty) and Secret Wars. Still, rumors indicate both multiversal and Multiverse Saga heroes could bear the brunt of these movies — e.g. Shang-Chi, She-Hulk, Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man, and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine — rather than older players like Captain Marvel and Doctor Strange.
On the other hand, in the run-up to Captain Marvel, it was reported that Larson had signed a seven-picture deal with Marvel Studios. To date, she’s only appeared in four MCU movies and one TV show, including Larson’s very brief cameos in Shang-Chi and Ms. Marvel. By that logic, even a small role in both Avengers 5 and 6 could technically conclude her contract and mean that she will not helm another Captain Marvel sequel, which would explain Larson’s reflective comments in the behind-the-scenes documentary.
It does seem almost unfeasible that we could never see Carol on our screens again, but there may be some truth to the fact that she’s closer to the end of her MCU journey than its beginning. Don’t forget, Larson was actually announced as Captain Marvel at Comic-Con 2016, and Secret Wars releases in 2027. So the actress could easily match Robert Downey’s 11-year Iron Man stretch after all.
