Captain Marvel flies into theaters nationwide this weekend. We hung out with Lashana Lynch, who plays Carol Danvers’ bestie Maria Rambeau and spoke about the role strong female friendships play in both the movie and in her real life.
Best Friendship Instead of Romantic Relationship
It’s been clear from the word go that Captain Marvel approaches relationships differently than some other blockbuster films. While many seek to appeal to women in the audience with romance, Captain Marvel eschews that notion, instead choosing to focus on Carol’s relationship with her estranged best friend, Maria. When asked about this difference, Lynch responded, “Damn, it’s about time! Do we always need a romantic connection in a movie? NO! Do you go through your life every single day thinking ‘Oh, man, I really wish I had a romantic connection today.’ No. I wake up and say ‘I really need to talk to my best friend today.’ [Carol] doesn’t think ‘Yeah, I wish my ex was here so we can reconnect again.’” She continued, “It’s just really nice to be able to replace romantic love with sisterly love. That’s what we all recognize as women. We don’t see it enough.”
Carol gets By With a Little Help from Her Friend
Not to get it twisted, though, Maria is more than a sidekick. She is the touchstone for Carol’s life on Earth. Captain Marvel‘s understanding of who she is and where she fits in the world begins with her relationship with Rambeau. On this, Lynch said, “Carol goes on this whirlwind of an adventure, she comes back and is like, ‘When’s the last time I had truth? When’s the last time I felt like I was within myself? When’s the last time I felt free?’ And she goes to her friend.”
Real Life Imitates Art
No matter how powerful Captain Marvel is, Carol Danvers and Maria Rambeau’s friendship anchors this movie to the real world. It’s so relatable that Lashana Lynch immediately connected to it. “It really reminded me of shooting in LA,” Lynch said. “I was like ‘I really miss my friends and I wish they were here to experience this with me. It’s mad that they don’t get to experience this brand new character that I’m entering into the MCU.”
Lynch was able to use that longing for her London friends to fuel her performance in Captain Marvel. “I get to have honest conversations with Carol about how much I missed her. It was almost like a therapy session for me in the last two weeks of shooting at Maria’s house. Getting to have almost ‘indie drama’ style conversations with Brie and releasing as women and supporting each other and telling each other how powerful we are just by being born.”
Higher. Further. Faster. More. Together.
Lynch explained the importance of the support she and her friends, many of whom are actresses, give to each other in what can be a difficult profession. Especially when you and your bud are up for the same role. “Me and my friends have taped each other on the same day and just read for each other, swapped around and then read the other person. It doesn’t matter if I don’t get the part and you get the part, we both win… My friend is succeeding and I can just be happy for you.” She concluded, “It’s not about you as the individual, it’s about us as the collective.”
Captain Marvel opens in the US on March 8th.
