Brie Larson to play 'Captain Marvel'

Oscar-winning actress Brie Larson will play the lead role in the upcoming superhero film "Captain Marvel", Marvel has announced.

The studio, in an announcement at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, said Larson would play the title character Carol Danvers, also known as Captain Marvel, reports aceshowbiz.com.

The 26-year-old, who won an Oscar award for her role in "Room" earlier this year, surprised the crowd by showing up on the stage with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige as well as the cast of "Doctor Strange", "Black Panther", "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" and "Spider-Man: Homecoming" for a group photograph.

"Captain Marvel" marks the first Marvel film with a woman in the lead role. The character debuted in the comics in 1968 as a human companion to the original Captain Marvel (the space alien Mar-Vell). She developed super powers of her own in a mid-1970s storyline and was initially called Ms. Marvel. She was given the title Captain Marvel in 2012 in tribute to the original, who was killed off via cancer in 1982.

"Captain Marvel" is slated for release on March 8, 2019.

--IANS

sas/nn/dg