Looks Like Brie Larson's Captain Marvel Won't Be MCU's New Lead After All
Kevin Feige once said that Brie Larson's Captain Marvel would "be at the forefront" of the MCU, but it seems he doesn't think she'll be at the forefront of her own sequel.
Captain Marvel was first hinted in a post-credit scene of Avengers: Infinity War, before getting a solo prequel in 2019 and an appearance in Avengers: Endgame. Since then, she has only had a brief cameo in 2021's Shang-Chi – not yet quite the "lead" Feige promised four years ago.
Larson will be getting her first sequel with The Marvels this November, featuring Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau. Kamala – played by Iman Vellani – was introduced in last year's Disney+ series Ms. Marvel.
A few weeks ago, Feige (head of Marvel Studios) gave an interview to EW and shed some light on the future of Captain Marvel, saying that Vellani and Kamala will "essentially steal The Marvels" – hinting that Larson won't be the lead in her own film. Does this mean Larson's role is being relegated, and she won't be a leader of the Avengers as we were promised? Maybe – but probably not.
Larson is still the top-billed character in the movie, and still the more bankable star. And let's not forget that Khan's entire persona is based around the fandom of Captain Marvel.
Feige saying Khan will "steal the show" probably wasn't implying that Larson's role will be lessened; he was simply promoting a growing star and her Disney+ show. However, that's exactly what he did with Captain Marvel four years ago.
When the Avengers actors took the stage at Comic-Con before Avengers: Endgame, he made a point of putting her front and center. He said it was foreshadowing her role with the super-team: As their leader. Larson's introduction as the Avenger was highly anticipated, but after a big appearance in the first scene, she was essentially a background character until gloriously saving the day in the final battle.
Since then, she has by no means been in the forefront of the MCU – just in terms of screentime.
Just like he did with Kamala, Feige was over-promoting his stars to generate viewership. Both will have important roles in The Marvels and going forward in the MCU; a single quote promoting one star shouldn't be taken to mean Larson's role will be diminished or that she will be dismissed from the franchise.
Fans of the comics are excited to see if Captain Marvel will take leadership over the team in Avengers: Kang Dynasty two years from now. If current comic runs are a hint to the films (as they occasionally are), it's worth noting that she'll be leading the Avengers when Avengers #1 hits shelves in May 2023.