'Captain Marvel' Locks Down China Release Date

The Brie Larson-starring Marvel Studios tentpole will open in the Middle Kingdom day-and-date with its much-anticipated U.S. debut.

Captain Marvel is set to soar into China.

The Marvel Studios tentpole has locked down a launch date in the world's second-biggest box office territory on March 8, day-and-date with its much-anticipated North American opening.

Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, Captain Marvel stars Brie Larson as Carol Danvers, a fighter pilot turned superhero who teams up with a younger Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) to face an alien threat. The film is set in the 1990s, allowing a number of Marvel actors to return as characters (both living and dead), such as Guardians of the Galaxy's Lee Pace and Djimon Hounsou, as well as Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson.

Captain Marvel also stars Jude Law and Ben Mendelsohn, who recently called the project "a big moment for Marvel." Larson will reprise her role as Danvers just weeks later in Avengers 4, which is slated to bow May 3 in the U.S. (China date forthcoming).

Captain Marvel will arrive in China on the heels of 20th Century Fox’s James Cameron-produced action film Alita: Battle Angel. Directed by Robert Rodriguez, Battle Angel will be the first Hollywood release in the Middle Kingdom after the Chinese New Year holidays, when U.S. titles are traditionally blocked from the market by Beijing regulators, giving local titles an uncontested run at local cinemas.