First Look: Brie Larson In ‘Captain Marvel’; Agent Coulson & Lee Pace Return

One of the major puzzle pieces of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is here. Production has begun on “Captain Marvel,” starring Brie Larson, a character that likely won’t appear in “Avengers Infinity War,” but should appear in ‘Avengers 4,’ possibly as a very pivotal character that could lead the MCU into Phase 4, or whatever it ends up ultimately being called.

Marvel has released a first look of Brie Larson on the set of the film with Brigadier General Jeannie Leavitt, 57th Wing Commander, on a recent trip to Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada to research her character. It’s not in costume, but you’ve likely seen set images of the controversial green Captain Marvel outfit by now.

Casting hasn’t been exactly a mystery: Jude Law, Gemma Chan, Lashana Lynch, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury who has been MIA since “Captain America Winter Soldier” and Ben Mendelsohn as the film’s main villain (though who that villain is remains under wraps). But today’s Marvel production-begins announcement reveals some new names.

Joining the cast is Algenis Perez Soto (“Sambá,” “Sugar”), Rune Temte (“Eddie The Eagle,” “The Last Kingdom”), McKenna Grace (“I, Tonya,” “Gifted”), and two characters that already appeared in Marvel Studios’ “Guardians of the Galaxy”) Lee Pace and Djimon Hounsou, presumably or possibly reprising their characters Ronan the Accuser and Korath, respectively. That’s not confirmed, but one would hazard a guess that’s Marvel’s attempt at a greater cosmic narrative tissue, since Captain Marvel seems to be a character that can straddle both the world’s of The Avengers and The Guardians.

Also, Clark Gregg who plays the MCU’s Agent Coulson will make an appears in the film set during the 1990s long before “The Avengers” assemble. The universe’s first period piece. Here’s the official synopsis

The story follows Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races. Set in the 1990s, “Captain Marvel” is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“Captain Marvel” is being directed by the writing/directing team of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, whose credits include “Mississippi Grind” and “Half Nelson.” Writing credits are massive and seven (!) writers are credited on the screenplay including (and in order) Meg LeFauve (“Inside Out,”), Nicole Perlman (“Guardians of the Galaxy”), Geneva Robertson-Dworet (“Tomb Raider”) Liz Flahive & Carly Mensch (“Glow”), and the filmmakers themselves Boden and Fleck.

Marvel is expected to be one of the most powerful characters in the MCU if not the most. [“We’re] super excited to have her—for one thing,” said ‘Infinity War’ co-writer Christopher Markus. “You know, that movie [Avengers 4′] does not exist yet so we’re following up on something that is good intentions at the moment,” he recently told ScreenRant. “But that’s a power scale that right now doesn’t exist in the MCU.”

And if Captain America dies—which many are speculating given Chris Evans says he’s done with Marvel after ‘Infinity War,’ the screenwriter suggests Marvel could possibly be a new leader to wrangle all teams, she is a military person and Army pilot after all. “In some ways [she’s] the closest to Captain America which is a weird, now rare kind of character which is sort of a person who’s right and knows they’re right and doesn’t really want to hear it when you tell them they’re wrong,” he said. “So, with all these flawed, fucked up people and Quill who’s a mess and Tony who’s a massive ego all contorted. It’s fun to get another person with a clear vision in there and going, ‘Shut up.’”

“Captain Marvel” will fly into theaters March 8, 2019.