Marvel Studios(LOS ANGELES) — Brie Larson stars as Captain Marvel in the first standalone Marvel film featuring a female superhero. But like a lot of little girls of a certain age, when she was growing up, there was another iconic female heroine she wanted to be.
“I wanted to be Princess Leia,” Larson, 29, told ABC’s Good Morning America. “[When] I was probably 8 years old, I bought a shirt that was for, like, maybe my size now, because I was going to play her at some point. I kept it in my closet. I’m sure my mom has it in the garage somewhere.”
Princess Leia was, of course, played by the late Carrie Fisher — just one of the female acting role models Larson said she admired in her journey to becoming an actress.
In Captain Marvel, the Oscar-winner stars alongside one of her other acting icons, Annette Bening.
“We have really long scenes together in this movie, so you get to play scene partners with somebody who is just incredible,” Larson said of Bening.
Larson transformed herself physically to play a superhero in Captain Marvel, and she described the workouts she did — many of which she shared on Instagram — as “really hard,” but also mentally transforming.
“It changes everything. It changes your mind. It changes the way you carry yourself, but it’s such a sacrifice,” Larson said, while admitting she “cried a lot in the gym.”
“It’s such a full-time commitment but I loved it. I really loved it,” she said.
Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel, which also stars Samuel L. Jackson and Jude Law, opens tomorrow, which, not coincidentally, is International Women’s Day.
Marvel Studios is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.
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