Comic-Con Casting News: Brie Larson is Captain Marvel

Of all the big news to come out of Comic-Con last week, perhaps none was bigger than the announcement of the actress who will play the lead role in the upcoming Captain Marvel movie. The honor goes to Brie Larson, Oscar-winning star of the indie hit Room, and reaction to her casting has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic.

Rumors that Larson would be cast in the role were already well-established before the official announcement, but the official casting news allows fans to fully get behind what will be Marvel's first female-centric superhero movie. Marvel will actually be late coming to that particular party. Female superheroes have already found a place on TV, and with Marvel's Jessica Jones on Netflix and ABC's recently cancelled Agent Carter, Marvel has been willing to put super women on the small screen. But DC will beat Marvel to the big screen when it debuts its Wonder Woman movie next year; Captain Marvel won't hit the screen until 2019.

The character of Captain Marvel, whose alter ego is military fighter pilot Carol Danvers, sports alien DNA that gives her evil-defying powers. She is a brash and competent woman who is more than able to hold her own whether she's dealing with super villains or the alpha male heroes on teams such as The Avengers or Guardians of the Galaxy.