Brie Larson will take lead role in Marvel's first female superhero film Captain Marvel

Actress Brie Larson is set to play the role of Captain Marvel. Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios made the announcement at San Diego's Comic-Con on Saturday, 23 July.

The actress, who won an Oscar for The Room, shared a photo of herself on Twitter wearing a cap that says Marvel Studios, with the caption "Call me Captain Marvel". Larson will now play the role of Carol Danvers – Captain Marvel – which is set to be released in the US on 8 March 2019.

When rumours were in overdrive over the 26-year-old being lookout as a potential candidate to play the role of the female superhero in June, Chris Evans during a panel at Wizard World Comic Con said: "I just heard about that. I really hope that happens. I love Brie Larson. We did a movie together back in '09, we did Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. I cannot say enough about Brie Larson. I think she is phenomenal, and I really hope that happens."

The Captain Marvel movie is set to be an origin story, telling how Carol Danvers, a US Air Force pilot, has her DNA merged with an alien's during an accident. She develops extraordinary powers and becomes the superhero Captain Marvel.

Guardians of the Galaxy's Nicole Perlman and Inside Out's Meg LeFauve are currently working on the script. The film is being produced by Kevin Feige. As of now no director has been attached to the movie.

In the world of comics, Carol Danvers is the eighth person to use the persona Captain Marvel. (In Marvel's comics at least). Captain Marvel should not be confused with Ms Marvel – currently the American-Pakistani teenager Kamala Khan –although Danvers did once go by the moniker Ms Marvel. And Marvel's Captain Marvel is also in no way related to DC Comics' Captain Marvel – a magical peer of Superman, whose alter ego is the boy Billy Batson.