A Timeline of Brie Larson's Rise to Fame: From 'Scott Pilgrim' to 'Captain Marvel'

Brie Larson is our new Captain Marvel! This is the kind of casting that has the potential to be one of the best decisions Marvel has ever made, right beside Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man. Larson has everything that Marvel is looking for. Not only are her dramatic skills being realized as one of the top young actresses, but she is very diverse and excels in comedy. She will be able to handle her own standalone film as well as hold her own against the other heavyweights of the Marvel Universe in future Avengers projects.

Larson is only 26 years old, but already has 53 acting credits under her belt since starting her career in 1998. Her first ever paid acting job was actually on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno as a Girl Scout for one of their monologue sketches.

Larson's career can be broken down into three phases starting with her starting big roles in The United States of Tara, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, and 21 Jump Street. The next phase would be her rise to critical acclaim in Room, with the final phase being her climb to top billing as a headliner for one of the highest grossing Hollywood franchises in the history of film as Captain Marvel.

'The United States of Tara'

This was one of her earliest roles that gained her momentum in Hollywood. The United States of Tara was a TV show that ran for three seasons from 2009-2011 and featured Larson in every episode. Her character Kate is a troubled teen who is going through her rebellious phase and it allowed Larson to show off her charming comedy while also getting to play some more dramatic scenes.

Kate can be described as cruel, naive, and selfish so the role showed the early signs of the potential that Larson had as a actress. Though her first break was technically in a drama, she started diving into more comedic roles that would truly jump start her career.

'Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World'

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World was far from Larson's first role in a film, but it was her first "big" movie. Envy Adams was a character full of pure comedy, and it was something that gave Larson room to grow as a comedic performer.

Scott Pilgrim was a movie full of ridiculous humor that allowed Larson to full flex her muscles and give us a character that was mean, but had some depth to her. It was a small supporting role, but it was a nice stepping stone to introduce her to mainstream audiences, and the role started her off down the path of comedy which landed her a larger role in 21 Jump Street.

'21 Jump Street'

It wasn't until 2012 that she got her big break as a major character in the 21 Jump Street reboot co-starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. She played a high school senior named Molly — the love interest to Jonah Hill's character Schmidt.

Larson was able to show off her ability to play the cute and funny girl next door. It was a character that was supposed to simply be a generic love interest, but she was able to give Molly an attitude that would steal the scene from her A-list cast mates.

It was a role that some may say is forgettable, but it got her name out there and started to get her recognized by directors and producers. 21 Jump Street also helped her land roles in other comedies like Don Jon, The Spectacular Now, Digging for Fire, and Trainwreck.

One thing that you can notice in almost all of these comedies is that they have a strong dramatic undertone that Brie Larson was able to take advantage of. She managed to avoid typecasting, and in doing so she was able to land the most important role of her life.

'Room'

Dramatic acting was something that Larson wasn't known for until Room. The performance snagged her the Academy Award for Best Actress, and if you have not seen the movie, it is a must watch. Larson had to play a 24 year old woman who was kidnapped as a teen and kept in a small shed for seven years.

I am not an emotional person, and rarely am I brought to tears. Room, however, made me cry a total of three times! Two of those had direct correlation to Larson's performance. The emotional depth that she was able to reach with this role is something I have never seen from any actor before.

It is also worth noting that her only co-star to help her draw this type of emotion was only 9 years old. She was playing off another actor who is still learning the craft, and Larson did not miss a beat.

Larson prepared for the role in true method acting form by locking herself in her home for a full month with very limited human contact. It was a way of getting inside the head of someone stuck in isolation. It was the role that proved her true potential. She was more than the girl next door or the smart ass love interest; she was now officially a dynamic star, and her acting range had become limitless.

Room was one of those films that only comes around once in a while, and without Brie Larson it's quite possible it would never have reached the heights it did. This film not only is what landed her the lead role for Kong: Skull Island, but also the role that will make her a household name for generations.

'Captain Marvel'

Captain Marvel is expected to take on a leadership role come Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe which makes sense for Larson's casting. They brought in an actress that can hold her own against all of the other Marvel actors and actresses. Marvel grabbed a young star that they could build a whole new portion of the franchise around. It could end up being the smartest decision they ever make with the MCU.

Seeing her Captain Marvel stand alongside Iron Man and Captain America is something that dreams are made of, and let's not forget she is more than likely to be featured along with the Guardians of the Galaxy cast since Captain Marvel's backstory heavily features space.

Her comedic talents will play well with the rest of the cast and allow her to shine among them. With stars like Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, and Scarlett Johansson, it can be easy to get lost in the crowd. While Brie Larson's name is not as well known yet, her talent will shine through and stand out among the other Avengers.