Wondering Where Brie Larson Has Been? I've Got Good News

Brie Larson has quietly made herself scarce over the last couple of years after a 2023 that was jam-packed with projects. The Short Term 12 star landed an Oscar win in 2016 for Room, parlayed that into one blockbuster franchise role with Kong: Skull Island, and then rose to meteoric heights with Captain Marvel, which led to a role in one of the biggest movies of all time, Avengers: Endgame.

Unfortunately, Larson also got caught in the maelstrom of the MCU on its way out of the public’s good graces, headlining the franchise’s worst-ever performer at the box office, The Marvels (which I still liked), which essentially led to her exit from the franchise. It didn’t help that in 2023 she also got caught up in Fast & Furious franchise fatigue, appearing in Fast X. What 2023 did have going for her, however, was Apple TV+’s Lessons in Chemistry, which remains a series I feel was far more significant critically than it ever was commercially.

Over the last three years, Larson’s career has largely been limited to a guest appearance on The Bear and voicing Rosalina in last weekend’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel.

I suspect that was more intentional than not. She did get the unfortunate end of the MCU backlash stick, but mostly, I think she wanted to let the public forget about her for a couple of years before making her return.

Fortunately, her next role appears to be much more in line with her work in Short Term 12 and Room than her blockbuster output. Later this year, she leads a psychological thriller miniseries for FX/Hulu called Cry Wolf. The series comes from television writer and playwright Sarah Treem (In Treatment, The Affair), and boasts one hell of a cast: in addition to Larson, it stars Olivia Colman, Shawn Hatosy, William Jackson Harper, Elizabeth Perkins, and Dane DeHaan.

The six-episode drama follows a social worker (Colman) investigating abuse allegations made by the teenage daughter of Larson’s character — the kind of prestige setup that could put Larson right back on the awards circuit, where she belongs when she’s not geeking out over Happy Meal toys.

No trailer has been released and no premiere date has been announced, but expect Cry Wolf on FX sometime this year.