“Captain Marvel” is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most highly-anticipated installments; the film will follow the origin story of Carol Danvers, her transformation into superhero extraordinaire and the role she’ll play in “Avengers: Endgame” following the ending of “Infinity War.” Naturally, taking on a character that's supposed to be one of the most powerful beings in the franchise is no small task, and Brie Larson has been totally forthcoming about her preparation tactics -- meaning we’ve been watching her train and lift for nine months, our awe only increasing.
Bulking up and getting in some hardcore physical training for a movie role isn’t anything out of the ordinary; Margot Robbie did a grueling five months of ice skating lessons for “I, Tonya” and John Krasinski trained with Navy SEALS for “13 Hours,” to highlight a couple. Not to mention how stars like Christian Bale (“Vice”) and Matthew McConaughey (“Dallas Buyers Club”) have lost and gained extreme amounts of weight to accurately portray a character.
What we usually hear, though, is how intense and difficult these training or transformation periods are. Larson, conversely, talked to InStyle about how empowering her workout regimen has been since she landed the “Captain Marvel” part -- her fitness, she said, has made her proud of her body.
The 29-year-old Best Actress Oscar winner, who can now deadlift over 200 pounds and hip-thrust over 400 pounds, calls Captain Marvel her female version of Indiana Jones, a role she’d unknowingly been waiting for -- the strength training a part of that.
“The movie was the biggest and best opportunity I could have ever asked for,” Larson said. “It was, like, my superpower.”
But can we be honest here -- her superpower is what the movie has done for her physicality and empowerment as a woman. Being strong has historically been a very masculine trait, but the number of fitness trends and weight-lifting classes that are now overrun with women are marking a shift in what it means for everyone -- men and women alike -- to be strong, and Larson has embraced that during the lead-up to “Captain Marvel.”
“The movie is not really going to look any different with the fact that I can actually lift 225 pounds. It doesn’t matter to anyone else, but it did to me,” she said. “Breaking that boundary of what it means for a woman to be muscular and strong and own your body and use it as a tool -- that felt meaningful.”
Homegirl pushed a Jeep up a hill. Like, what? How?
Especially as a star who’s about to become a role model for scores of impressionable viewers, it’s refreshing to hear Larson not just comment on the brutally long hours and obstacles of her strength training, but to emphasize how satisfied she is with how her body looks and feels as a result of the workouts. Some women shy away from lifting weights in fear of looking “ripped” and unfeminine. But, ladies! Strength is sexy these days -- just ask Captain freakin’ Marvel herself.