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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is full of divisive characters, from Groot to Hawkeye. Fans have strong opinions about every character in the MCU — but one particular character, and one particular actor, has drawn an almost-excessive amount of ire. When Brie Larson was announced as the iconic character Captain Marvel, many fans were excited to see what the veteran performer would bring to the role.

However, alongside this came a lot of criticism and unkind remarks, with many slamming her performance in the 2019 film Captain Marvel. In the midst of all the negativity, however, one of Larson’s fellow MCU stars stood up for her, taking to Twitter after a body language expert slammed Larson’s demeanor on a Marvel press tour.

Brie Larson received a lot of criticism for her role as Captain Marvel

captain marvel brie larson
US actress Brie Larson attends the world premiere of “Captain Marvel” in Hollywood, California, on March 4, 2019. | Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

While Captain Marvel was a popular movie with many viewers, Larson’s performance in the blockbuster received a lot of attention. A relentless online campaign began against the star. Many claimed her acting was too wooden and that she didn’t “smile” enough in her role as Carol Danvers.

Ultimately, it seemed as though nothing Larson did was good enough for many Marvel fans. Her politics landed her in the crosshairs of many critics, with a vocal contingent claiming that Larson was too feminist to take a high-profile role in the MCU. Even when she was participating in other Marvel projects, she wasn’t immune to the criticism — as evidenced by the press tour for Avengers: Endgame.

Don Cheadle defended Brie Larson on a press tour

Larson was a member of the ensemble cast of Avengers: Endgame, and along with the rest of the cast, she made the rounds to promote the massive movie. Body language expert Mandy O’Brien had a lot to say about Larson’s appearance and demeanor during the press junket, narrowing in on and analyzing a joint interview with Don Cheadle, Larson, and Chris Hemsworth. As reported by IndieWire, O’Brien said that Larson was trying to “dominate” the two men, even claiming that the actor was trying to get validation from Hemsworth.

The clip of O’Brien’s remarks went viral, catching the attention of Cheadle. The Marvel star took to Twitter to defend his co-star, writing “you should see my ‘body language’ right now. This is some of the funniest stuff i’ve ever heard. Brie was trying to keep her ponytail behind her because her hair stylist kept flying in and fixing it. She’s actually being over accommodating. Amazing.” 

Don Cheadle is a fan-favorite as James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine

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Clearly, Cheadle had no time or energy for further harassment of Larson — especially after the vicious online smear campaign that she endured throughout much of 2019. As for Cheadle, he’s been fortunate to occupy an exalted space in the MCU. He took over the role of James “Rhodey” Rhodes, aka War machine, from Terrence Howard in Iron Man 2 and has been a staple presence ever since.

A few of the Marvel projects that Cheadle has appeared in include Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. There’s also no end in sight for Cheadle, with the award-winning star set to feature in the upcoming Disney+ series Secret Invasion. According to IMDb, Cheadle will also play a role in the movie Armor Wars, which is still in pre-production.

Larson is also not yet done with the MCU, and is set to reprise her role as Captain Marvel in the upcoming movie The Marvels.

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