Brie Larson has hit back at Marvel fans who claim she needs to extend her acting range by – of all things – smiling more frequently.

After the release of the Captain Marvel trailer this week, scores of men began taking to social media to question why Marvel's mightiest avenger wasn't grinning from ear to ear. (Probably because she was busy saving the known universe, but don't let that get in the way of a good internet tantrum.)

Larson hit back at the haters by photoshopping smiles onto the faces of the likes of Captain America and Iron Man and sharing the images on Instagram. Even the promotional poster for Doctor Strange, featuring Benedict Cumberbatch, got a spin to prove how ridiculous it looked for a superhero to put on a gleeful smile.

In response to the criticism, a hashtag called #SelfiesForBrie was spawned, and numerous women shared pictures of themselves going about their day. Many used it as an opportunity to protest men – particularly strangers – constantly telling them to smile for no apparent reason.