Captain Marvel: Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson take us behind the scenes of the superhero blockbuster
- We caught up with the two superstars on the set of the latest Marvel movie during filming
- Larson clearly means business and wants to look a strong and powerful role model; Jackson, meanwhile, is enjoying not wearing an eye patch
A familiar blue awning stands tall in a desolate strip mall near Hollywood, emblazoned with “BLOCKBUSTER VIDEO” in bold yellow letters.
Inside, nostalgic nuggets include VHS cases for The Right Stuff and The Lion King, movie posters for Dazed and Confused and Babe, and snacks such as Choco Tacos and Jolt Colas. So what gives this Mockbuster away?
For starters, the gaping hole in the store’s ceiling. And the lack of actual tapes in the videocassette cases. Also, the space is in the middle of a Marvel Studios movie shoot.
But, really, this is the biggest giveaway that you haven’t been transported back to 1995: the movie’s star, co-director and a number of crew members are women. There are no macho Chrises in sight. It is a spring day on the set of Captain Marvel, the long-awaited movie about a woman who must rediscover her humanity, all while coming to terms with the fact that she may be the most powerful hero in the galaxy.
That aforementioned video store? It’s where Carol Danvers, the titular hero played by Oscar winner Brie Larson, drops to Earth after an intergalactic battle.
As the comic-inspired story goes, Carol has been fighting the alien Skrulls on behalf of the alien Kree. She has superpowers she does not fully comprehend, including beams of energy that shoot out from her fists. This is indeed an origin story.