Brie Larson is perhaps the most controversial star in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While her solo film Captain Marvel, the first female-led movie in MCU, grossed $1 billion at the box office, Marvel fans remain largely divided on her portrayal. The toxic backlash and personal attacks against Larson have reportedly left the Oscar-winning actress disillusioned with her Captain Marvel role.
It appears that Larson cannot escape the toxic comments anytime soon, as the attacks continued under the news of her growing disillusionment. While the Room actress prepares for her next MCU release, The Marvels, speculations arise once again that Larson might leave the franchise.
Some Fans Still Blame Brie Larson After She ‘Grew Disillusioned’ With Her Marvel Role
Joanna Robinson, author of the new book MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, mentioned in the book that Brie Larson has grown “disillusioned” with her role. Talking about the current Marvel icons, Robinson shared that their future looks unclear, with most actors reconsidering their roles. Robinson wrote in her book (via The Direct):
“The ‘Guardians of the Galaxy‘ cast went on a farewell tour, Brie Larson grew disillusioned, and Marvel tussled with Sony in a custody battle over Tom Holland.”
Robinson reiterated this stance when she told The Watch podcast that Brie Larson didn’t want to play Carol Danvers due to the toxic backlash. Notably, this is not the first time Larson was reported to be leaving the Marvel franchise. The X account, @MCU_Direct, reported the news from The Direct:
Brie Larson reportedly “grew disillusioned” over playing #CaptainMarvel following the toxic backlash that she’s received online… Full details: https://t.co/VW5HhTihXd pic.twitter.com/YaOg6RoXWv
— MCU – The Direct (@MCU_Direct) October 18, 2023
The news evoked a mixed range of reactions from fans. Some further attacked the Unicorn Store actress calling her “insufferable” and expressed their hate for the character and the actor. However, some acknowledged that there was unnecessary hate against Larson, despite them not liking the character or the movie. Others shared their support for both the strong character as well as Larson’s acting.
“Toxic backlash” nah it was just reactions to her being insufferable.
— JD (@JDBaldMan) October 18, 2023
she ruined the captian marvel charcter so stowic no emotion n the comics n the cartoons she was fun charcter dat had fun persnailty not always serouis face
— Saiyan pony🐉🔞 (@nerdtindo) October 18, 2023
She was terribly miscast
— פרי (@NextTopMD) October 18, 2023
Very few people are in a film that makes a billion and find their reputation completely in the toilet as a direct result. That had to make her think she did something wrong.
— Ranting Man (@Beatman1) October 18, 2023
Why is there so much hate for her? I’m not a big fan of the movie (I thought they did Coulson fans dirty), but I don’t understand the hate. Was it something she said in interviews?
— EbonHawk36 (@TJameson8) October 18, 2023
The backlash was and still is an overreaction. Captain Marvel was a mid movie, and the acting wasn’t amazing. That’s something I could say about MANY MCU movies though, which makes some of the vitriol spewed at this movie specifically pretty puzzling to me.
— H0riz0n (@RedHotHoriz0n) October 18, 2023
Captain Marvel may not be the best of Marvel’s efforts, but the movie did deliver a satisfactory experience. Whether love it or hate it, one can’t deny that some of the toxic backlash against the Marvel actress stemmed from her political statements and Marvel’s attempt to establish Carol Danvers as the strongest Avenger.
Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel Problems Began Way Before The Film’s Release
While Carol Danvers’s lack of backstory and character development was a genuine criticism of the movie, the backlash began way before Captain Marvel’s release. There were attempts to review bomb the movie on Rotten Tomatoes prior to its release. This all began after Marvel’s marketing campaign tried to establish Danvers as the most powerful superhero.
Things further escalated when Brie Larson’s political statements also became part of the mix. Larson criticized her press days, which, according to her, were “overwhelmingly white males”. She further drew ire when she spoke out against the male fans who were hating on the Carol Danvers character. However, it was expected that the backlash would stop after the success of the movie.
But the attacks against Larson continued on social media, to the point where The Glass Castle actress became a lot less active on the platforms. Larson is set to make a comeback with The Marvels, her major movie after Endgame. She briefly appeared in the Fast & Furious franchise in the latest installment, Fast X.
The Marvels is scheduled to hit theaters on November 10, 2023.
