Captain Marvel Exit? Speculation Grows Around Brie Larson’s MCU Future

After the disastrous box office results of The Marvels (2023), some fans are convinced that Brie Larson is getting the boot as Captain Marvel.

Brie Larson’s time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn’t exactly been smooth. Since her debut in Captain Marvel (2019), a certain (very toxic) portion of the fanbase has rooted for her failure, arguing that she’s too cold and arrogant for the role of Carol Danvers. Some are also convinced that her fellow Avengers cast do not like her, with most of them basing that opinion on one interview with her co-star Chris Hemsworth (Thor), in which the pair are very clearly joking.

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Despite the naysayers, Larson’s first Marvel film debuted to impressive numbers. Captain Marvel took home over $1.1 billion at the box office, overtaking Wonder Woman (2017) to become the highest-grossing female-led superhero film of all time.

Her most recent entry, however, hasn’t been quite as successful. The long-awaited Captain Marvel sequel debuted in 2023 and saw Larson team up with Iman Vellani (Kamala Khan, AKA Ms Marvel) and Teyonah Parris (Monica Rambeau) as their three characters try to discover why they keep switching places every time they use their powers. Directed by Nia DaCosta, it also sees Samuel L Jackson return as Nick Fury, and Zawe Ashton debut as the villainous Dar-Benn, a warrior from the Kree Empire.

The Marvels received positive reviews – but also received some not-so-positive reviews. Critical responses to the film have been so mixed that it holds 62% on Rotten Tomatoes, giving it the fourth-lowest rating in the entire Marvel franchise so far.

Overall, the film took home just over $206 million at the box office worldwide, meaning it failed to break even by the end of its theatrical run. Considering all the shifts happening at Marvel in recent years, some fans fear that the blame has been pinned on Captain Marvel and Brie Larson herself – potentially even leading to her exit from the MCU.

Larson previously confirmed that she hopes to continue playing Carol Danvers in future Marvel movies. “There’s still so much inside Carol,” she explained. “I don’t want Marvel to come for me … there is definitely something that I want to say, but I am not going to.”

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However, fans swiftly pointed out that keeping the role may not be her choice. “Those box office returns might say goodbye for her,” pointed out one X, formerly known as Twitter, user.

“The Marvels is the biggest flop of the year,” said another user. “Brie Larson needs to be fired.”

Meanwhile, one user said, “Time to fire Brie Larson. The fans hate her and she can’t act. She’s not meant to be a blockbuster actress. She should go back to indie films.

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Not everyone seems as convinced that Larson is on her way out of the Marvel universe. As several fans pointed out, Larson is perfect for the role of Captain Marvel – it’s just the writing that has let her down so far. “Marvel just has to do better by giving her better stories and arcs,” said one fan.

“She hasn’t been given good material yet,” said another. “She’s one of the best actors in the MCU, yet has been given shallow scripts.”

Regardless of how fans feel, it’s up to Marvel to decide whether Larson returns for another project in the future. There had previously been rumors that Larson was ready to leave the franchise herself in the wake of the toxicity surrounding her role as Carol Danvers. At the same time, there were also rumors that Marvel had once hoped to establish her as one of the next ‘big three’ to lead the Avengers following the exits of Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans.

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We’ll have to wait and see how Captain Marvel’s future plays out in the franchise. With the box office return so low for The Marvels, a third standalone film may be a tall order. Larson also hasn’t been confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday (2026) yet, even though every other Marvel superhero under the sun (minus Spider-Man) seems to have been confirmed for the lineup. At the same time, we can’t imagine Marvel writing her character out off-screen, meaning a return for Larson is all but guaranteed at some point.

Meanwhile, Larson was replaced as the singing voice of Envy Adams in Scott Pilgrim Takes Off – Netflix’s recent anime remake of the cult classic film in which Larson starred in 2010. In 2023, she made her debut in another franchise with her appearance in Fast X.

Would you like to see Brie Larson return as Captain Marvel? Let us know in the comments!