Brie Larson sobbed the first time she saw Wonder Woman

Captain Marvel is set to be the first female-led film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe when it hits theaters this March. That means its star Brie Larson has been launched into the role carrying the weight and expectation of everything that comes with being a “first.” But there’s another film that held a similar weight just a few years ago: Wonder Woman. 

In a recent interview, Larson told Marie Claire about the intense reaction she had while in the theater watching Wonder Woman.

"It’s so interesting, as it’s not something I thought about until I was in the cinema watching Wonder Woman," she said. "About two minutes in, I was sobbing and thought, 'Why am I crying so much over this?' But it was seeing all of these warrior women who were so self-sufficient. That wasn’t something I identified with growing up — my hero was Indiana Jones. To have the chance to be one example of this is powerful and exciting."

In our own interview with Larson on the set of Captain Marvel, she spoke about how the "first female blah blah blah" conversation is one she thinks we should be over by now.

“I feel like the more we talk about it, the more we perpetuate the myth that it's an impossible task,” she said. "No, if it wasn't like that before, it's because it was wrong. That was just wrong. Now we're just doing what's natural.”

Larson's reaction to seeing the powerful women in Wonder Woman demonstrates the importance of these milestones. Yes, it's 2019 and we should have completed every "first" possible at this point — but we haven't. When Captain Marvel hits theaters, a woman just might be sitting there sobbing just like Larson was, and that's why these "firsts" matter.