LOS ANGELES • Brie Larson pushed a Jeep up a hill as part of her training to play Captain Marvel.

The effort has been worth it, with advance-ticket sales for Walt Disney's Captain Marvel off to a strong start, a sign of pent-up demand for the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first film with a female lead.

Since tickets went on sale on Monday, Captain Marvel has done brisker business than last year's Deadpool 2, Black Panther and Venom, noted movie-ticket app Atom Tickets.

Disney is hoping to duplicate the success of Black Panther, whose majority-black cast resonated with audiences, reported Bloomberg.

With Larson, 29, a woman will get top billing for the first time in a series that has spanned 21 films.

Her commitment to her craft has impressed co-star Samuel L. Jackson.

"I think about a year ago, Brie started working out. She's got 5 per cent body fat now. The first (workout video) she sent me, she was lifting like 100 pounds (45kg). The last one she sent me was 350.

"And she does chin-ups and she sent me a video of her pushing a Jeep up a hill.

"So she's made a distinct transformation that I don't think a lot of people would be willing to do," he told journalists visiting the film set.

Larson, who also stars in the upcoming Avengers: Endgame, is apparently keen to cash in on all the training she has done.

Posting a video of her effortlessly tackling a rock-climbing wall, she playfully captioned it as her audition tape for a potential Spider-Man movie.