We love a co-star friendship!
Samuel L. Jackson has been looking out for fellow MCU star Brie Larson as she faces backlash from Marvel fans for her portrayal of Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel in the franchise.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Jackson commended Larson for being a “feminist who has an opinion.”
“Brie’s a stronger person than people give her credit for,” Jackson told the outlet. “She’s not going to let any of that stuff destroy her. These incel dudes who hate strong women, or the fact that she’s a feminist who has an opinion and expressed it? Everybody wants people to be who they want them to be. She is who she is, and she’s genuinely that.”
Jackson spoke to his friendship with Larson, which according to IndieWire, began when the two were filming Kong: Skull Island together. He shared that it “was not the most wonderful experience” for either of them, but they formed a strong bond as a result.
“Then, when she was doing her movie [Unicorn Store] and trying to get a particular actor, I was in the makeup trailer with her and was like, ‘Why are you trying to hire this other actor and not trying to get me to do your movie?’” Jackson asked. “She said, ‘I didn’t think you’d ever do it…so, will you?’ And I was like, ‘Let’s do it.’”
Their bond was only strengthened in 2016 when Donald Trump won the presidential election and he and Larson were working on Unicorn Store together, Jackson said.
“She was broken and I was like, ‘Don’t let ’em break you. You have to be strong now.’ Then, when she got Captain Marvel, she called me and was like, ‘They want me in the Marvel Universe. Should I do it?’ And I was like, ‘Hell yeah! Let’s do it!’”
Larson has endured her fair share of sexist criticism for her role in the MCU, including the bogus claims she didn’t smile enough in the Captain Marvel trailer. During an interview with Variety at the D23 Expo last September, Larson clapped back at the trolls when asked if she would reprise her role as Captain Marvel after playing the superhero in three films.
“How long will you play Captain Marvel?” a reporter asked, to which Larson replied, “I don’t know. I don’t know. Does anyone want me to do it again?”
She added, “I don’t know. I really don’t know the answer to that.”
Jackson’s Nick Fury and Larson’s Captain Marvel will reunite in The Marvels, which is set to be released in theaters No. 10. In the meantime, Captain Marvel is available for streaming on Disney+.