Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Bear season 4!Brie Larson is opening up about her cameo in The Bear season 4 and how her experience working with Marvel made the guest appearance even more rewarding. Larson served as one of The Bear season 4's biggest cameos, playing Francie Fak, a character that was often mentioned but never seen before the latest season.
Francie appeared in The Bear season 4's "Bears," finally coming face to face with her enemy, Natalie Berzatto. Though Nat has made her disdain for Francie clear in past seasons, it's still unclear why the pair had so much beef with one another.
The Bear's Fak family has been a prominent piece of the comedy-drama, leaning more into the comedy aspect of the Hulu show. Aside from Matty and Teddy Fak, John Cena had a cameo in The Bear season 3 as their brother, Sammy Fak.
Somehow, The Bear kept their plans surrounding another Fak sibling a secret, though in an interview with Vanity Fair, Brie Larson credited her time working with Marvel when it came to keeping her cameo in The Bear a complete secret.
I’m pretty used to keeping secrets now because of the many years working with Marvel. But it doesn’t make it any easier. I needed to go to Chicago for a week, and I didn’t know how to explain to anybody why I was going to Chicago. So I just tried my best to avoid that question. If anybody was like, “Do you want to grab lunch?” “I’m in Chicago.” “Why?” “Seeing art.”
The Captain Marvel Actress Understands What It Takes To Keep A Secret
Brie Larson in The Bear
Brie Larson, of course, has been involved with the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2019. She made her debut as Carol Danvers in 2019's Captain Marvel before reprising her superhero role later that year for Avengers: Endgame. The movie, which made over $2.7 billion worldwide and held the record for the highest-grossing movie of all time for a brief time, was shrouded in secrecy during production.
I-Can't-Believe-The-Bear-Season-4-Ended-Without-Solving-The-Show's-Biggest-OG-Mystery-(Despite-Massive-Setup) Related
I Can't Believe The Bear Season 4 Ended Without Solving The Show's Biggest OG Mystery (Despite Massive Setup)
While it seemed like the perfect time to finally address it, The Bear season 4 ended without solving one of the Berzattos' biggest mysteries.
In fact, all Marvel movies tend to go to extra lengths to prevent leaks, and the same went for Larson's return as Captain Marvel in 2023's The Marvels. Granted, Marvel's level of secrecy obviously paid off for Larson's The Bear cameo. Larson may have acquired expert skills in production and filming secrecy for major projects, but she noted that "it doesn't make it any easier."
The Bear films in Chicago, where the show takes place, so there would have been extra challenges in ensuring Larson wasn't seen linked to the show during the production of season 4. This is a lot different from filming a big-budget film on studio lots, like the case with Marvel movies.
Our Take On Brie Larson's Cameo In The Bear Season 4
Francie's Role Sets Up Larson's Return In Future Seasons
Francie Fak with brothers Neil and Teddy in The Bear
Funny enough, Brie Larson's cameo in The Bear was theorized a year ago after a fan noticed the actress following several people from The Bear on Instagram. Larson acknowledged the theory on X with a screenshot of her texts with The Bear showrunner Christopher Storer, teasing the plan to have her join season 4.
Thankfully, everyone involved with The Bear managed to keep the casting a secret, as it was a fun surprise to those who had been anticipating a direct appearance by Francie for so long. The cameo happened during The Bear season 4's "Fishes" sequel, which also featured other notable names, such as Josh Hartnett, John Mulaney, and Bob Odenkirk.
While The Bear has a history of bringing back guest stars, it's unclear whether Larson will reprise her role as Francie. Larson acknowledged in her interview with VF that her friendship with Nat was "at peace," but showed interest in returning to The Bear in the future. If that's the case, maybe the show could also bring back John Cena for a Fak family reunion.
Source: Vanity Fair