Captain Marvel Could be Played by Oscar-Winner Brie Larson - Report

Even though Captain Marvel is three years from release, there has been much speculation in the past few months about who will star in Marvel's first female superhero-led movie. It has now been reported that the studio's first choice is recent Oscar-winner Brie Larson.

According to Variety, Marvel execs are in "early talks" with Larson. While it is unknown what the stage the negotiations have reached, the site's source state that Larson is the frontrunner, and that "she’s leaning toward playing the part."

Larson won the Best Actress award at this year's Oscars for her performance in the drama Room. She is also known for supporting roles in Scott Pilgrim vs The World and 21 Jump Street, and will next be seen in the Martin Scorsese-produced action movie Free Fire.

In April, Marvel boss Kevin Feige told i09 that Captain Marvel's star and director would be revealed soon. "[You'll have] a filmmaker and cast by the summer," he said. "Maybe before. Maybe after. Filmmaker announcement first."

It has been suggested that a summer announcement could tie in with the San Diego Comic-Con, which takes place in July. Unlike last year, parent company Disney does not have its own D23 expo to reveal any big franchise news.

The film was originally scheduled for a July 2018 release, before being moved back to make way for Spider-Man: Homecoming and Ant-Man and the Wasp. It is now set to hit cinemas in March 2019.

Captain Marvel has been the name of various heroes over the years. The current incarnation, and the one expected to feature in the film, is the alter ego of Carol Danvers. Danvers previously used the name of Ms Marvel and first appeared in her own comic book in 1977, before taking the identity of Captain Marvel in 2012.