Getting into superhero shape is by no means an obligation, but a lot of actors and actresses have taken their preparations to the next level when it comes to starring in a comic book blockbuster, even if getting jacked isn’t something they’ve really been known for in the past.
Chris Hemsworth looking ready to burst in a workout photo for Thor: Love and Thunder is hardly a surprise, but Natalie Portman rocking up to the set buff as hell to play Jane Foster certainly was. Similarly, Kumail Nanjiani busted his ass to get ripped for his role in the upcoming Eternals, only to face accusations he’d been using steroids to accomplish the task, even though nobody levelled similar claims at the equally massive Hemsworth or Chris Evans.
Brie Larson, meanwhile, was never going to strut onto the set of Captain Marvel looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger, but it takes a lot of strength and endurance training to play the lead role in an action-packed blockbuster, regardless of how many visual effects were required to bring the intergalactic epic to life. And in a new interview, the Academy Award winner revealed why she was happy to put in the work.
“I just wanted to feel like in the human realm I could accomplish what she was doing in this superhero realm. And it helped me inform the character. It didn’t make sense to just stand there and be like, ‘the CGI will take care of this’.”
Larson has been in training for the sequel for a while now, with shooting on The Marvels set to kick off at the end of the month. This time around, though, she’s sharing some of the burden as the slightly modified title makes it pretty clear that Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel and Monica Rambeau’s still-unnamed superpowered alter ego will be stepping up to the plate in a big way to lend an assist.
