Brie Larson has racked up her share of physically and emotionally impressive moments on screen, from her intense scenes in Room (which earned her an Oscar) to the superhero training for Captain Marvel and even the grueling rock-climbing sequences in The Glass Castle. But her latest feat? In addition to juggling a packed 2025 movie schedule, the MCU A-lister is casually balancing on top of two tin cans like it’s just another Wednesday, and doing it in a pair of blazing hot pink boots that fans of recent celebrity Barbiecore fashion trends may envy.
The Scott Pilgrim Takes Off voice actor shared the short video on Instagram. It’s the kind of video you scroll past, then instantly scroll back to just to confirm you saw what you think you saw. Check it out for yourself below and be amazed:
Balancing on cans is no small feat (seriously, try it at home — carefully — and see how long you last). However, Larson’s clip isn’t just her randomly standing on cans in hot pink boots, but instead is taking part in the viral Nicki Minaj Challenge. As The New York Times reported, it’s a TikTok and Instagram trend that’s racked up over 1.3 billion views under the #nickiminajchallenge hashtag. Inspired by Minaj’s pretzel-like pose from her 2013 High School music video, the challenge has evolved into a game of “how much harder can we make this?”
Celebs and creators have been upping the ante by striking the pose in heels on cooking pots, soda cans, monkey bars, you name it. Brie Larson has a very specific reason for taking part in the trend, though. As she humorously noted in her caption, she was told that it would be a great way to promote her new book.
In fact, Larson’s decision to balance on two cans also seems to be a not-so-subtle plug for her upcoming cookbook, Party People, which is co-written with former Milk Bar culinary director Courtney McBroom. The book, which she’s holding in the video, is set to release on October 21 and will include 100 creative recipes and party ideas ranging from Dirty Dancing–themed birthdays to a Hot Dog Appreciation Festival. If anything, this proves Larson can bring the same energy to a kitchen as she can to a Marvel set… or a balancing stunt.
The whole video is a feat of balance, but let’s be honest, it’s Brie Larson’s hot pink, knee-high boots that deserve their own headline. They’re bold, unapologetic, and every bit as attention-grabbing as the stunt itself. Also, judging by the comments, they did their job. One fan summed it up perfectly: “Well this is the first I’m hearing of the book, so it worked and I’m sold.” Same here!
I also had no idea the Short Term 12 star had a cookbook coming this year until she posted this. So, yes, give that social media manager a raise, because this was a masterclass in turning a viral trend into a perfect promo moment.
Beyond her cookbook, Brie Larson’s keeping busy, though her 2026 movie release slate currently doesn’t list any upcoming Marvel movies, even with the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday on the horizon. Of course, it’s always possible Captain Marvel could pop up in a surprise cameo. We’ll just have to wait and see.
