What does it take to become Captain Marvel? Brie Larson explains how she became a superhero in a brand new featurette.

Getting cast to play a superhero is an exciting moment for any actor, especially when it is as groundbreaking of an achievement like Brie Larson and Captain Marvel. It’s a big deal to star in the first standalone female superhero-led movie of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. With such a huge responsibility and opportunity in front of her, Larson made sure her preparation for the role made her more than ready for the task.

If you follow Larson on Instagram, you likely saw pictures of her training to become Captain Marvel. Larson pushed herself hard to prepare for the role, and from what we’ve seen in the trailers, both her training and her work to learn about Air Force pilots made her transformation into Carol Danvers seem almost effortless.

A new featurette released by Marvel outlines a bit of Larson’s physical training and the research she did into Air Force pilots that helped her become a superhero.

In the featurette, Larson explains that she trained for 9 months, and we even get to see a glimpse into some of the rigorous training she went through to look and feel like a true Kree warrior.

Captain Marvel director Anna Boden explains that it was important for Larson to learn how to fight for herself. Larson echoes that sentiment later in the featurette explaining how, after training for so many months, she felt alive while shooting the intense fight scenes (namely the one against the Skrull disguised as an old woman in a train).

But Larson didn’t just work out to become Carol Danvers. She also visited Air Force fighter pilots to get an idea of their attitude, sense of humor, and she even got to fly with the pilots.

It takes a lot to become a superhero, and we love how seriously Brie Larson took this role. Carol Danvers means a lot to many Marvel fans, and it’s nice to see an actor understand the weight of that responsibility and take it into her preparation. We can’t wait to see the fruits of Larson’s labor when Captain Marvel opens in theaters on March 8.