The last few weeks have seen exciting new developments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With Spider-Man: No Way Home breaking box office records, Disney Plus’s Hawkeye series bringing in familiar faces, and Doctor Strange 2 releasing a teaser trailer, fans have loads to anticipate in the coming years.
Captain Marvel actor Brie Larson has added fuel to the flames. Recently, she shared a collection of photos with Zawe Ashton — an actor cast to play a mystery villain in the upcoming Captain Marvel sequel.
What did Brie Larson say?
Larson was introduced into the MCU in 2019 as former air pilot Carol Danvers, also known by her superhero alias Captain Marvel. She starred in her titular movie alongside Samuel L. Jackson and Clark Gregg who reprised their respective roles.
Sharing three images on her socials — posing with her new costar — she wrote, “Marvel fans, start your theories.” In these snaps, Larson is expressive as ever, flashing a cheeky smile before dissolving into laughter while throwing her arm around Ashton. The superhero actress was rocking a black sweatshirt that read “villains lover club” on top of a pair of striped pants while Ashton wore a “Joy Division” sweater.
Her picture seemed to do the trick as fans raided her comment section with theories about the upcoming movie. Many have dubbed that Marvel will introduce the two as an LGBT+ couple, citing the adoring look that Larson is giving her costar.
Another fan theory states that Ashton will be joining the cast as the character Rogue, a mutant that was first introduced as a villain but later found herself joining the X-Men. Rogue has the ability to absorb other superhuman powers and physical characteristics. Prior to falling into the Marvel limelight, Ashton was best known for starring in the Netflix horror-thriller Velvet Buzzsaw and the television series Fresh Meat and The Handmaid’s Tale.
What do we know about the Captain Marvel sequel?
Not much is known about the upcoming Captain Marvel sequel, slated for 2023. It has been titled The Marvels and will star Larson and WandaVision’s Teyonah Parris reprising their respective roles. The Marvels is also set to star Marvel newcomer Iman Vellani in her new role as Kamala Khan, aka shapeshifter Ms. Marvel. But this won’t be her big debut as her titular series is expected to debut on Disney Plus in 2022.
The Monica Rambeau actor opened up to Variety earlier this year about reprising her television role in the upcoming feature. She teased that viewers will be able to “further understand” the character. Parris expressed, “With Monica, we’ve established who she is in “WandaVision,” and in “The Marvels,” we have an opportunity to further understand who this woman is.”
She continued to add, “Having a woman of color at the helm of furthering this story of one of the few super-powered female, African American beings, I think it’s really special.”
The Marvels is scheduled to premiere on February 17, 2023.