Samuel L. Jackson and Brie Larson are more than just co-stars in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They are also great friends who have worked together on several projects and supported each other through thick and thin.
The two actors first met on the set of 2017’s “Kong: Skull Island”, a movie that Jackson described as “not the most wonderful experience for either of us”. He told Rolling Stone that they became friends during that time because they were “having such a hard time”.
Their friendship deepened during the 2016 US presidential election, when Larson was “broken” by Donald Trump’s victory and Jackson encouraged her to be strong. He also helped her make the decision to join the Marvel Universe as Captain Marvel, the first female superhero to headline her own movie in the franchise.
Jackson recalled their conversation: “She called me and was like, ‘They want me in the Marvel Universe. Should I do it?’ And I was like, ‘Hell yeah! Let’s do it!'”
Jackson has played Nick Fury, the leader of the spy agency S.H.I.E.L.D., since 2008’s “Iron Man”. He has appeared in more than a dozen Marvel movies, but he has never been to Wakanda, the fictional African nation where Black Panther lives. He joked that he was “kind of upset” about that and wondered how Nick Fury could not know about Wakanda.
He also said that he never had a meaningful scene with Don Cheadle, who plays War Machine, until his upcoming series “Secret Invasion”, which will feature Fury as he assembles a team to stop a group of shape-shifting aliens from taking over Earth.
Jackson and Larson reunited on screen in 2019’s “Captain Marvel”, which was set in the 1990s and showed how Fury met Carol Danvers, a former Air Force pilot who gained superpowers from an alien explosion. The movie was a huge success, grossing over $1 billion worldwide, but it also faced backlash from some online trolls and haters who criticized Larson for being a feminist and a strong woman.
Jackson defended his friend against these attacks, calling them “incel dudes who hate strong women” and praising her for being genuine and resilient. He said: “Brie’s a stronger person than people give her credit for. She’s not going to let any of that stuff destroy her. These incel dudes who hate strong women, or the fact that she’s a feminist who has an opinion and expressed it? Everybody wants people to be who they want them to be. She is who she is, and she’s genuinely that.”
Jackson and Larson have also collaborated on other projects outside of Marvel. Larson cast Jackson in a supporting role in her feature directorial debut “Unicorn Store”, a whimsical comedy about a woman who wants to buy a real unicorn. Jackson played the mysterious salesman who offered her the deal.
He said that he agreed to do the movie after Larson asked him in the makeup trailer: “She said, ‘I didn’t think you’d ever do it…so, will you?’ And I was like, ‘Let’s do it.'”
The two actors will appear together again in “The Marvels”, which will also star Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel and Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau. The movie will tie together “Captain Marvel” and the Disney+ series “Ms. Marvel” and “WandaVision”, and show how Carol Danvers’ powers are “entangled with” those of Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau.
“The Marvels” is scheduled to hit theaters on Nov. 10, 2023, while “Secret Invasion” will premiere on Disney+ on June 21, 2023.
Relevant articles:
– Samuel L. Jackson Stands by Brie Larson Against Toxic Marvel Fans: ‘Incel Dudes Who Hate Strong Women’ Won’t Destroy Her, Variety, Jun 20, 2023
– Samuel L. Jackson Praises Marvel Costar Brie Larson as ‘Stronger Than Most People Give Her Credit For’, MSN, Jun 20, 2023
– Samuel L. Jackson Backed Up His ‘Great Friend’ Brie Larson By Calling Out ‘Incel Dudes Who Hate Strong Women’, Uproxx, Jun 20, 2023
– Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson’s Friendship: A Timeline, Vulture, Apr 5, 2019.