Brie Larson on redefining 'what it means for a woman to be muscular' in Captain Marvel

Feeling strong and able to own your body is ‘meaningful’, the actor says

Becoming one of, if not the, mightiest superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a very tall order, one that requires countless hours of gruelling fitness training in the gym if you're the actor playing the part.

Fortunately, Brie Larson was more than up for the task when she begun preparing for the intergalactic role of pilot-turned-warrior Carol Danvers.

The Oscar-winning actor, who's previously starred in films including 21 Jump Street, Trainwreck and Room, has said that she wasn't especially athletic before being cast as the titular character in Captain Marvel.

All that changed when Larson embarked on a nine-month training schedule for the film, which she has regularly documented on Instagram.

The actor recently shared a video on the social media platform of herself doing five hip thrusts with a 275-pound barbell, before enjoying a cookie as a reward for her hard work.

Larson explains that while audiences may not be able to tell how strong she is when the film is released in cinemas in March, working on her strength and stamina had a positive effect on her performance and mindset.

"The movie is not really going to look any different with the fact that I can actually lift 225 pounds. It doesn’t matter to anyone else, but it did to me,” Larson tells InStyle in the magazine's March issue.

“Breaking that boundary of what it means for a woman to be muscular and strong and own your body and use it as a tool, that felt meaningful.”

Becoming Captain Marvel and putting her physicality to the test has given Larson a renewed "sense of ownership", something that she wants to try to hold onto to the best of her ability.

The actor explains that sometimes people underestimate her capabilities, which is why she feels especially strongly about proving any naysayers wrong.

"I do believe in my abilities, and I do value myself, and I do know that I’m strong, and I do know that I can do a lot of things that people don’t think I can do," the actor states emphatically.

Whenever Larson finds herself experiencing self-doubt, rather than try to nip it in the bud as quickly as possible, the actor believes it's more beneficial to try to comprehend where the feelings of uncertainty have come from.

“I don’t think you overcome self-doubt. I think it’s something you listen to," she says.

The March issue of Instyle will be available on US newsstands, on Amazon and via digital download from 15 February.