The world may know Brie Larson as Captain Marvel or – even better – the Academy Award-winning actor from the harrowing drama, Room. But longer ago than we would probably like to remember, she was a fame-obsessed pop star, Envy Adams, in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
Based on the Bryan Lee O’Malley comic series, Scott Pilgrim depicts the titular character’s desperate fight to win his new girlfriend’s heart by defeating her seven deadly exes. The film was directed by the Three Flavors Cornetto trilogy filmmaker Edgar Wright, whose fast cuts and infectious humor were perfect for the brand. Though it didn’t follow the comic exactly, it was an acceptable adaptation of the books. As Scott (Michael Cera) engages in combat, he also tackles a personal issue; Todd, the ex of Ramona (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), is going out with his ex, Envy. In a brutal reveal that Envy is back in his life, Scott has to watch her band, Clash At Demonhead, outperform him and his band.
The song they perform, entitled “Black Sheep,” was recorded by the indie pop band Metric, who contributed to the soundtrack for the film. However, it is Larson who performs the song on film with an impressive amount of dance moves.
Does Brie Larson sing “Black Sheep?”
Larson’s prowess in the role of Envy Adam was not only convincing, but completely accurate. Though Metric recorded the song for the soundtrack, Larson’s voice is in the movie. According to The Wrap, a big source of discourse in the Scott Pilgrim community was the oversight in not including Larson’s version on the final soundtrack. In recent years, that has finally been rectified, as Wright celebrated on Twitter.
An expanded version of the soundtrack was released, which had Larson’s track on it, as well as some additional demos. The actor has musical talents in addition to acting, but that shouldn’t come as a surprise. Before she was a juggernaut in pop culture that she is now, Larson herself was a pop star. Admittedly, she was not on the level as Envy Adams, but she did have her own single, which Larson happily tweeted out as a reminder.
Entitled “She Said,” the pop jam highlights the Captain Marvel actor’s vocals that made her an obvious choice to play Envy. This tidbit faded into general obscurity as Larson became a more serious actor. Larson’s filmography is impressive and proves all the haters wrong. After appearing in the indie powerhouse film Short-Term 12, she would later receive critical acclaim for Room, and that was all before she made it to the Marvel sphere. It is a one-of-a-kind actor who gets famous for many different avenues, but clearly, Larson is deserving of her fame. Unlike Envy, who just kicked Scott in the heart until it burst.