MCU: Is Captain Marvel Being Recast? Is Brie Larson Out as Carol Danvers?

If you’re a fan of the MCU, then you probably know that Captain Marvel, aka Carol Danvers, is probably the most polarizing superhero to get a formal introduction into this epic cinematic universe. For a while now, rumors have swelled about Brie Larson getting the boot as Carol Danvers, but is it true? Is Captain Marvel being recast for the MCU?

Brie Larson will remain Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, for the new MCU movie, The Marvels (aka Captain Marvel 2). Even after that, Brie is likely to remain Carol for as long as she and Marvel Studios want to bring the character back. Everything else is just rumored.

There is, however, some truth to Larson’s replacement as Carol Danvers, but not in the way you might think. In fact, we’ve already seen – or heard – another actress portray the character within the MCU. And I’m not talking about Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau nor Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan. Here’s what the confusion is all about.

Is Brie Larson replaced as Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel?

You might’ve read some clickbait headlines about Brie Larson being replaced as Captain Marvel in the MCU, and if you haven’t actually read those reports, you might’ve thought: oh, the backlash got too harsh, so the studio decided to replace Larson. And you would be wrong. Kind of.

Certainly, there was some backlash regarding Brie Larson’s portrayal of Carol Danvers. Not so much due to her performance – let’s face it, Brie is a great actress – but more so due to her attitude before and after her appearances as Captain Marvel within the MCU. Her comments rubbed some people the wrong way, and Brie kind of came out as arrogant.

That’s why many people jumped on those clickbait headlines with joy. But, while the headlines were technically true, Brie Larson wasn’t actually replaced as Captain Marvel – not in live-action, at least.

You see, those headlines were referring to MCU’s first animated series, What If…? which initially seemed to be little more than a fun exploration of different possibilities that could’ve happened to our beloved characters. 

Little did we know, those ‘possibilities’ would open up the multiverse in the MCU, and What If…? would actually be much more important than initially thought.

Now, in the first season of What If…? a completely different actress voiced Carol Danvers. Instead of Brie Larson, the voice of Carol Danvers was an actress named Alexandra Daniels. When headlines about Brie being replaced came out, they were referring to Alexandra – but it never meant Brie wouldn’t be the live-action Carol anymore.

And, to be fair, Carol Danvers wasn’t the only character in What If…? voiced by different actors than their live-action MCU counterparts. While Tom Hiddleston, Chris Hemsworth, and Benedict Cumberbatch voiced Loki, Thor, and Doctor Strange, respectively, Iron Man was voiced by Mick Wingert, Black Widow by Lake Bell, Steve Rogers by Josh Keaton, etc.

So, to simplify our initial question, Brie Larson was replaced by Carol Danvers only within the What If…? series. Alexandra Daniels still isn’t on the cast list for Season 2, but if Carol Danvers appears again, likely, she won’t be voiced by Brie Larson again.

Is Captain Marvel being recast?

All those headlines sparked rumors, and rumors sparked speculations about Captain Marvel, aka Carol Danvers, being recast for the future of the MCU. But, the reality is, the only place where Brie Larson likely won’t be Carol Danvers in the MCU – is in the What If…? animated series.

We already know that Brie is a big part of the new MCU film, The Marvels, that’s scheduled for release later this year. The movie, which is essentially Captain Marvel 2, will feature two other semi-new members of the Marvel ‘family,’ including Monica Rambeau, aka Photon (portrayed by Teyonah Parris), and Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel (portrayed by Iman Vellani).

The trio will join forces after they inadvertently start switching places every time one of them uses their powers – or so it seems in the movie’s trailer.

As for Brie Larson’s future in the MCU after The Marvels, it’s quite vague and unknown. That’s reasonable, considering that the studio likely doesn’t want to spoil what happens in the film – even if that spoiler is ‘Carol Danvers will survive.’

However, during last year’s D23 Expo, Variety spoke to Brie Larson, who was quite uncertain about her future in the MCU:

It seems that even Brie is aware of the backlash that her Carol Danvers received, so who knows? Perhaps The Marvel will eventually be her final MCU project. 

One thing is for certain, though. Captain Marvel isn’t being recast any time soon, and Brie Larson will remain Carol Danvers for as long as she’s willing to play the role and for as long as Marvel Studios want the character to return within the MCU.

When is The Marvels coming out?

The coronavirus pandemic, as well as some internal issues for the MCU, plans (we’re looking at you, Mr. Kang), have postponed most MCU projects for months, maybe even years. This year, numerous shows should’ve premiered, such as What If…? Season 2, Echo, Ironheart, or Agatha: Coven of Chaos.

Loki Season 2 was already supposed to be out, but now, we don’t even have a set date, much like for Echo, Ironheart, and Agatha: Coven of Chaos – which could very well end up slated for 2025.

So, it’s no wonder that The Marvels movie was postponed several times – and I wouldn’t be surprised if we get another delay along the way.

At first, the movie was slated for June 8, 2022. Then, it was rescheduled for November 11, 2022, but that ended up being the premiere date of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Then a new date was set for The Marvels – June 28, 2023, and finally, the movie is now slated for a November 10, 2023 release.

Keep in mind the November 10 release is currently an expectation – not a guarantee. In the end, however, we can guarantee that Captain Marvel isn’t getting recast, and Brie Larson remains Carol Danvers, at least for the foreseeable future.