Captain Marvel's Biggest Problem? Mediocre Writing, Not Brie Larson

Summary

• Captain Marvel was a controversial film, but it made over $1 billion at the box office.
• Some fans disliked Brie Larson's performance and blamed it for the film's perceived subpar quality.
• The actress came in for a lot of criticism that had little to do with the movie itself.
• Larson has reprised her role in the upcoming film The Marvels.

It's been over four years since the release of Captain Marvel, yet it remains one of the most divisive films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Released just a month before Avengers: Endgame – the franchise's most successful installment, which grossed a staggering $2.8 billion at the box office – Captain Marvel performed remarkably well as a stand-alone superhero feature, making $1.13 billion.

However, fans' opinions about the film weren't as unanimous as they were for Avengers: Endgame. Many were not fond of Brie Larson's portrayal of the titular superhero. Given the criticism, one might assume Marvel would move away from the character.

And yet, the character is expected to feature prominently in the next MCU feature, The Marvels, and given the fan anticipation for it, a convincing argument could be made that it wasn't Brie Larson's supposedly poor performance that caused fan backlash to Captain Marvel, but rather, that film's subpar writing.

Captain Marvel Controversy

Introducing one of the most powerful heroes to the MCU, the film faced criticism right off the bat. Although Brie Larson's Captain Marvel was a valuable addition to the franchise, the narrative came across as lacking in focus.

Simply put, it failed to capture the MCU's essence despite its protagonist's name. Fans were quick to blame Brie Larson for the film's shortcomings. Even today, Captain Marvel remains one of the least favorite entries in the franchise, even though it did quite well financially on its release.

But was it actually Brie Larson's fault that the film's plot made so little sense? After all, she didn't write the script; she just played the lead role, and there is only so much an actor can do with the material they're given to play.

Brie Larson in The Marvels

With less than three weeks until the release of the next installment in Captain Marvel's saga, fans are reflecting on the original movie. Many still point the proverbial finger at Brie Larson as being the main culprit behind why the movie doesn't work. Given the sentiment, it's surprising the actress continues in the role she's received so much criticism for.

During an interview at The Marvels premiere, Larson was asked about how long she was planning to play Captain Marvel after this film. Larson's response was in perfect alignment with all the flak she got from fans for the first film.

'I don't know. Does anyone want me to do it again?' she said with a tinge of sarcasm. 'I really don't know. I don't have the answer to that.'

Brie Larson is a gifted actress who managed to do a very good job portraying Captain Marvel in the first film, given the constraints of the script. So we're looking forward to seeing her reprise the role in The Marvels when it opens in theaters on November 10.

Source: X (Twitter).