When it was first released a decade ago, Short Term 12‘s only lasting impression was that of a well-reviewed independent feature that deservedly racked up plenty of plaudits and several awards season wins to complement a healthy run at the box office comparative to its status.
Fast forward 10 years, though, and you realize just how much of an impact it had on modern Hollywood. Quite frankly, if you tried to assemble the roster of talent on display these days, the budget would comfortably clear $100 million and then some.
The breakout feature for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Avengers: The Kang Dynasty director Destin Daniel Cretton, Short Term 12 was the first major feature film leading role of eventual Oscar winner and Marvel Cinematic Universe stalwart Brie Larson, while the supporting cast included the movie debut of Stephanie Beatriz, as well as roles for LaKeith Stanfield, Rami Malek, and Kaitlyn Dever.
There was one person above all who left an impression on the actress who’d ultimately become Captain Marvel, with Larson lavishing particular praise on Stanfield during a retrospective interview with Vanity Fair.
“If I sat next to him at lunch, he would move. He was like, My character doesn’t interact with you, doesn’t trust you, so I’m not going to until the movie’s over. And then he became a huge part of our wild adventures. He’s a legend. At least in my life.”
Larson and Cretton have collaborated several more times in the intervening period, so maybe it’s about time they welcomed Oscar nominee and Haunted Mansion headliner Stanfield back into the fold.