Why ‘Captain Marvel’ Almost Didn’t Use That No Doubt Song

Captain Marvel is chock-full of standout moments, but none more so than the climactic battle between Brie Larson’s titular superhero and her friends-turned-foes, the Kree Starforce. It’s an electric piece of filmmaking and marks the moment that Carol Danvers truly becomes the hero she’s meant to be. A big part of what makes the film’s crescendo so memorable and kinetic is that it’s soundtracked by No Doubt’s essential ‘90s feminist anthem “Just A Girl.”

But as co-director Anna Boden revealed in a recent episode of the Empire Film Podcast, she and her co-director Ryan Fleck almost didn’t use the Gwen Stefani-written seminal ’90s hit. “That is actually one of the places in the movie where we tried about three thousand different songs before we arrived at ‘Just A Girl,'” Boden said. “Which is hilarious because ‘Just A Girl’ is the most obvious choice.”

Of course, “Just A Girl” wasn’t the only ’90s anthem used in the film. Songs by TLC , Garbage and Nirvana all play during crucial moments, and help make Captain Marvel the most nostalgic entry in the MCU to date. But it’s Stefani and co.’s ska classic that makes the biggest impact. “We put it in and there’s something cheeky and little bit of fun about it,” Boden added. “People were really into it and kind of fell in love with it there.”

Clearly the directing duo did something right, as Captain Marvel is once again poised to top the box office for the second consecutive weekend. The massive success comes despite the best efforts of trolls, who’ve been posting fake reviews in a lame attempt to derail Marvel’s first female-led superhero movie. But their efforts have been in vain, as Captain Marvel has now earned a whopping $600 million worldwide.

Related: All of Captain Marvel‘s ’90s Nostalgia References, Ranked From Most Obvious to Deepest Cut