The preparation behind a Marvel movie goes well beyond just scouting locations, doing script rewrites and deciding on camera angles. Because of the intense physical demands placed on many of the actors, their work can start six months or more before principal photography.
We've seen how both Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans (who play Thor and Captain America, respectively) transform themselves through almost-unimaginable gym regimes and brutally strict diets. With the help of a personal trainer and nutritionist, Chris Pratt, who plays Marvel's Star-Lord, increased his caloric intake to 4,000 calories a day and drank tons of water. "I was peeing all day long, every day. That part was a nightmare," he told Men’s Fitness.
And evidently, playing Captain Marvel in the forthcoming movie of the same name was no exception. A new featurette gives us an idea of the training commitment made by Brie Larson, who plays Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel. ['Captain Marvel' 2nd Trailer Arrives … and an Exciting Character Emerges]
"'Captain Marvel' is about somebody who goes on a journey of discovery, and I think it was really important for Brie to learn how to fight," Anna Boden, one-half of the directing duo behind "Captain Marvel," says in the featurette. The other directing half is Boden's husband and frequent collaborator, Ryan Fleck.
"By the time we started shooting, I'd been training for nine months … and I'm glad that I did," Larson says as we see her working out.
"Doing fight sequences up and down a train for three days … [I] felt kind of alive," she adds.
The movie focuses on former U.S. Air Force pilot Carol Danvers who is catapulted to the stars while wrestling with a heritage shared between humanity and the alien race known as the Kree. That alien heritage grants her unthinkable power.
Larson is joined by Samuel L. Jackson and Clark Gregg as SHIELD members Nick Fury and Phil Coulson; both actors will get the digital de-aging treatment. Other faces familiar to Marvel fans will include Lee Pace as Ronan and Djimon Hounsou as Korath, both first seen in "Guardians of the Galaxy."
Evidently, Larson also enjoyed the extensive flight training she had to go through.
"We simulated a dog fight … we were on offense, we were on the defense … we got to 6.5 g," Larson says, smiling.
All that and a $5 million paycheck. According to The Independent, Larson is signed into a seven-picture deal that ties her into multiple Marvel franchises.
The cast of "Captain Marvel" also includes Lashana Lynch and Gemma Chan, along with Ben Mendelsohn, Jude Law, Algenis Perez Soto, Rune Temte and McKenna Grace.
"Captain Marvel" is scheduled to open in theaters on March 8, 2019.
Follow Scott Snowden on Twitter. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. Original article on Space.com.
Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.
