Russo Bros. Finally Address Captain Marvel's 'Avengers: Endgame' Makeover

Ever since Marvel fans got a clear look at Carol Danvers in the mid-March Avengers: Endgame trailer, responses have been divisive, mainly because Brie Larson’s character looks totally different than she does in Captain Marvel. In 1995, Danvers had messy, wavy hair and didn’t wear makeup, but in the present-day her hair and makeup are immaculate. It’s enough of a difference that it feels like a genuine discrepancy.

Larson confirmed on Sunday that she filmed Avengers: Endgame before Captain Marvel. This originally felt like confirmation that the Russo Brothers’ vision for the character clashed with what Captain Marvel directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck had in mind. (We saw a similar discrepancy between Wonder Woman and Justice League in DC films.)

However, in an interview with the Russos published by /Film Tuesday, Anthony and Joe clarified that Larson herself came up with the overall look of the character in Endgame. The directors also defended her creative choices.

“I think she was experimenting with what the character was,” Joe said. “Those were the choices that she and her hair and makeup team had made. And I think as she started to gain a deeper understanding of the character — especially as she approached her own movie — she started to make different choices and as an artist she should be afforded that right to make whatever choice that she wants to make.”

The Russos took a similar strategy in previous movies. In Civil War, Infinity War, and Endgame (the three Marvel movies they’ve directed so far), the Russos gave their actors autonomy in terms of how they look. That includes various Black Widow wigs and other specifics.

“We give all the actors ownership over there,” Joe said, speaking about hair and makeup.

Larson had to base her look on very little information and no script for either movie, so her team did the best with what they knew. However, the strong personality that’s carved out in her solo movie hadn’t been established yet either, suggesting that the Carol Danvers we meet in Endgame might act noticeably different from the one fans were introduced to earlier this year.

“I had to stumble and figure out who this character was with no script for this and no script for Captain Marvel, either, and perform for the first time in front of legends,” she said at Sunday’s press conference.

Only in the world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe does a challenge this unique happen where actors aren’t even allowed scripts before filming entire movies. Maybe the Russos could have fixed this by invited Captain Marvel’s directors onset to share their vision for the character, but clearly that never happened.

Carol Danvers might look a bit inconsistent when we see her again in Avengers: Endgame, but in the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward, we’re bound to see a more authentic version of the character. We just hope it’s not too much of a distraction while watching Endgame.

Avengers: Endgame will be released in theaters April 26, 2019.