Brie Larson is a real-life superhero. We’re convinced. The star of Captain Marvel has used her platform as the first star of a female-fronted Marvel movie to shed light on marginalized voices, to stick up for behind-the-scenes diversity, to bring different types of journalistic voices into the conversation, and to speak up about all matters of the heart. She’s faced backlash for “politicizing” her press tours, but the criticisms haven’t fazed her a bit. She’s still going strong and sticking up for what’s right for her, and we couldn’t applaud that enough.
We’re especially over the moon about her recent Good Deed Move. At the latest MTV Movie and TV Awards, Larson took home the golden popcorn for “Best Fight,” but instead of merely walking onstage and tossing out some simple thank yous, she used the opportunity to bring two important women up there with her: Joanna Bennett and Renae Moneymaker, her two stunt doubles in the film.
Kudos to @brielarson for giving Joanna Bennett and Renae Moneymaker this moment to shine. Stunt work is incredibly difficult and it takes a lot of talent to do what these women do in #CaptainMarvel.
It’s a craft that deserves more respect. pic.twitter.com/fvmIE0YRGI
— ferdosa (@atomicwick) June 18, 2019
“I wanted to take this moment to really say ‘thank you’ to two women who are standing here beside me,” Larson said after accepting the award and thanking the fans. “These are the women that trained me and who were also the stunt doubles for Captain Marvel. I could not have made this film without them, they are really the baseline of who she is. They are the living embodiment of Captain Marvel.”
As Moneymaker explained in her speech, she actually grew up with Bennett. “As young girls, we wanted to be just like Lara Croft and G.I. Jane,” she told the crowd. “So it’s a real honor to be a part of this character and hopefully pass along some of that inspiration and strength that those iconic women brought to us.”
“A big thank you to Brie for acknowledging our role in this film,” added Bennet. “It’s truly a rare acknowledgment, and it means so much not just to the both of us but to the entire stunt community.”
Thank you, Brie, for continuing to fight the good fight for the women around you.
Images: Disney, Marvel
