Actress Brie Larson wouldn’t say too much about her highly anticipated “Captain Marvel” film, but she did reveal that she discovered her inner and outer strength through her portrayal of the titular character at the Crystal + Lucy Awards Wednesday night. “I will say that I learned that I’m much stronger than I realize in playing her,” she told Variety on the carpet at the Beverly Hilton.

For Larson, playing “Captain Marvel” is unquestionably a surreal moment of her career. “A lot of my life recently has felt like it’s happening to somebody else,” she explained. “I think part of it is a defense mechanism. It feels better to kind of continue to have my own understanding of myself, rather than one that was put on me by the outside world.”

According to Larson, she trained extensively for nine months in order to build her physical strength prior to production. “My highest right now is 215 lbs. in deadlifts. 400 lb. hip thrusts,” she shared, while stating, “being able to lift weight like that really changed my perspective and understanding of myself.”

Development for “Captain Marvel” began in 2013, and production itself has been an extensive process, having begun earlier this year. “Going through a movie that requires so much and takes this long, I’m realizing I’m way stronger than I knew,” she said.

Larson was among the honorees at the Women in Film, Los Angeles gala, accepting the Crystal Award for Excellence in Film.

Victoria Alonso, Marvel Production EVP and fellow honoree couldn’t help but to acknowledge Larson during her acceptance speech. “My 7-year-old daughter picked out this dress,” she said. “I asked her ‘why pink?’ and she said ‘Mommy, because Captain Marvel will be there.’”

With the resurgence of women empowerment, “Captain Marvel” certainly has the added pressure of making a statement on behalf of young women in particular, but Larson doesn’t see it that way. “I never make stuff with an expectation. I’ve learned a lot about myself and I feel super inspired by her,” she explained. “It’s only my hope that it’ll be that for others.”

While Larson said she doesn’t feel any added pressure, she surely recognizes her influence and hopes to utilize it to create more inclusion within Hollywood, including among the press. “All of this, boils down to more women with keys to power,” she stated “I want to be able to share it with others and make sure that as we move forward, there is inclusivity at the top.”

“Captain Marvel” is scheduled to release in March 2019.