‘Captain Marvel’ Canceled, Brie Larson’s Marvel Future Unclear

Marvel has officially canceled Captain Marvel after increasing signs that the Brie Larson franchise is not sustaining audience interest.

Brie Larson was introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Captain Marvel (2019), which essentially acted as a breather between Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019) and allowed her character Carol Danvers to pal around with Nick Fury (a de-aged Samuel L. Jackson) in the 1990s. The film established Larson as the “most powerful” figure in the MCU, which was heavily pushed by the studio brass after the departure of Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man as the central figure of the franchise.

Related: Kevin Feige Confirms Brie Larson ‘Captain Marvel’ Replacement in “Three or Four Years”

Captain Marvel was a gigantic box office smash, but it has not been able to retain an audience (and thus revenue) in the way that, say, the Captain America and Thor films have. Now, it appears that the Marvel Comics branch of The Walt Disney Company has taken the hint and has scrapped the most recent Captain Marvel series; this is a strong indication that producer faith in the character has dipped dramatically in the last five years.

This latest Captain Marvel series has been canceled after ten issues, all of which were written by Alyssa Wong and penciled by Jan Bazaldua, with covers by Stephen Segovia. The initial press release for the comic book series described it as:

HIGHEST, FURTHEST, FASTEST! The Captain gets a permanent glow-up designed by superstar artist Jen Bartel! And that’s not all that’s changed. Brand-new look – brand-new creative team – and a brand-new status quo. Carol Danvers is one of the powerhouses of the Marvel Universe, a woman capable of harnessing the energy of the sun. So if you’re coming for Earth? She’s the first one you take off the board. Someone’s figured just how to do just that. Introducing a new supporting cast and villains both beloved and dangerously fresh, Alyssa Wong and Jan Bazaldua’s exhilarating series kicks off here!

Series editor Sarah Brunstad wrote in the letters section of the tenth issue, “Ah, dear friends. Here we part, for a short time. Captain Marvel stories will continue in the gangbuster Avengers series and elsewhere (check out the new ongoing Avengers Academy, Marvel Unlimited subscribers!). But her solo series needs a hiatus while we build the next great story. Keep the faith, True Believer. Keep the Corps strong. We’ll see you soon.”

Writer Alyssa Wong confirmed the end of the series, adding:

“What a wild ride! I’ve had so much fun writing Carol, Yuna, and some true cosmic weirdness. From place-swapping shenanigans to body horror, high-stakes heists to quiet, powerful moments, it’s been an absolute blast(aar). And you’ve been with us every step of the way! Thank you for your love and enthusiasm. Every time I read your letters, they make my day. You are all True Believers..but more than that, thank you for believing in this story, this team, and all of us. I can’t wait to see where Carol’s journey takes her next!”

While it is by no means unusual for a major comic book publisher like Marvel to abruptly end a series, it is notable that this new run, which was launched alongside the release of The Marvels (2023), was canceled after the sequel film flopped. To date, the second Captain Marvel film is the lowest-grossing MCU film, earning $206 million against an approximately $275 million production budget.

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The Marvels co-starred Iman Vellani (as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel) and Teyonah Parris (as Monica Rambeau/Photon) and was directed by Nia DaCosta, who co-wrote the screenplay with Megan McDonnell and Elissa Karasik. The film garnered mixed reviews upon release and is now frequently cited, along with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), as an indicator of the diminished commercial strength of Marvel Studios.

The cancelation of this latest Carol Danvers comic book comes alongside the end of the most recent She-Hulk revival, another female-led series whose MCU adaptation was not as commercially successful as Kevin Feige might have liked. Perhaps there is some truth to the idea that “activist producers” are being ejected behind the scenes at the studio.

Do you think Marvel will make another Brie Larson project?