In her latest film, actress Gemma Chan delivers snark and sniper skills as blue-hued Kree warrior Minn-Erva alongside Brie Larson in “Captain Marvel,” a departure from Chan’s delicate portrayal of Astrid Leong Teo in the rom-com smash hit “Crazy Rich Asians.”

While promoting “Captain Marvel” at the Beverly Hilton last week, Chan spoke to The Chronicle about accepting the role, being part of Marvel’s first female-led movie and diversity in the entertainment industry.

Q: I heard that you accepted the role of Minn-Erva without reading the script for “Captain Marvel.” Tell me about that leap of faith.

A: It was definitely a leap of faith. There is such a hunger for information about anything Marvel-related (so) they like to keep it under wraps. It’s not like any audition process I’ve ever done before. I didn’t even know what part I was auditioning for. I was doing dummy scenes not from the real script. … It was only when they offered me the part they said I was going to play Minn-Erva.

Q: Minn-Erva is a snarky, badass character.

A: Yes, she’s sarcastic, and she’s got a bit of an attitude. I admire the fact that she’s kind of fierce and fearless.

And yes, she’s just pretty different from Astrid. It was nice to show a different side to me.

Q: What’s it like being part of Marvel’s first film with a female lead character?

A: A huge attraction for me was the fact that I will be working with Brie (Larson, who plays the title role) and that it was going to be Marvel’s first female-lead film.

It doesn’t happen with every project, but I’ve been very lucky in the last year that each project I’ve worked on has either started a conversation or shifted the conversation forward in terms of representation in some way. I think if you can be part of a project that’s not only entertaining but also has something to say, I think that’s really special. I was really excited to be a part of this.

Click here for The Chronicle’s review of “Captain Marvel.”

Q: You mentioned this genre (science fiction and fantasy) is ahead of the curve in terms of presenting women in a more forward way. Why do you think it is?

A: It’s interesting. I don’t know whether it’s the fantastical settings or this one step removed from reality that people say, “Oh I’ll accept that part — that you can cast a person of color in that.” Maybe it’s just that already you are having to imagine thinking outside the box when you are going into a sci-fi world that allows the creators or their producers or whoever is calling the shots to go out, “Yeah, I can see that.”

I hope that it is going to translate more and more into a wider range of other genres as well. … I’m a huge sci-fi fan. I was in “Humans,” which I did three seasons of, and we had an incredibly diverse cast. It’s something I’m really proud of.

Q: We’re seeing a rising tide of more female superheroes either in an ensemble cast or headlining their own show or movie. What do you think of that, and do you think there will be more of it?

A: I really hope so. I mean, why not?

For the longest time that’s not been the case, so it’s exciting to me that we are seeing this whole range of characters coming through — some are heroic, some are less heroic, some are flawed and some more flawed than others. We don’t just think we’ve got to just have women who are perfect. … We’ve have flawed male heroes for so long. Why not have more flawed female characters as well? We’re human beings. We’re complicated.

Q: What are the challenges — or the opportunities — that movies like this have for more diversity?

A: I think it’s amazing that we’re getting more and more stories that are having different voices being heard for the first time, and different stories being shown.

Diversity and representation, it’s not a trend to me, and I don’t think it should be seen as a trend. I think we want original storytelling, we want a fresh perspective and that may well come from a person of color or a female perspective. But I think it shouldn’t be done for its own sake. I think you still have to tell a story in a really entertaining good way. … We’ve got to make sure the quality of the storytelling is still way up there.

Q: What do you like about the “Captain Marvel” movie being part of that conversation?

A: I like the fact that not only is the cast diverse, and it’s a female lead, I think you get to see a whole range of female relationships within the movie. That’s really exciting, and you wouldn’t necessarily expect to see that in a superhero movie either.

You’ve got friendships and rivalries, you’ve got a mother and daughter dynamic, and to see that whole range in one action-packed superhero movie. That is really, really great. It’s good for boys and young men to see, as well as girls and women.

“Captain Marvel” (PG-13) opens Friday, March 8, in theaters nationwide.