Lara Croft is undoubtedly one of the most iconic female video game characters out there — on par with the likes of Samus Aran and Princess Peach (hey, she may not super bright or strong, but she’s still iconic). Of course, the character had the added benefit of being portrayed by Angelina Jolie in two Tomb Raider films in the early 2000s, so in the minds of many younger audiences, Angelina Jolie is Lara Croft.

Of course, the game series has continued on since those films, and in 2013, we saw a reboot of the franchise, and with it, a younger, less seasoned Lara Croft. It is this Lara Croft that we’ll be seeing on the big screen when it hits theaters in March 2018.

Taking on the role in Jolie’s footsteps is Alicia Vikander, an actress who just recently won an Oscar for her role in the film Ex Machina. As such, there’s no doubt the actress will help to bring to some real dimension to the character, but what else?

Speaking with Collider while promoting her latest film, The Light Between Oceans, Vikander discussed why she signed up for the role in the first place:

“I think it’s – you know, with these big films – you just want to just – for me it’s really all about the filmmaker, and then of course the character and the story. I find that — big blockbuster movies, I grew up with, and some of them I love, and I think the thrill of being part of making one myself would be extraordinary. But it also comes down to, I met Roar [Uthaug] and I’d seen The Wave and a few of his other Norwegian films and it’s with the kind of chance to make this story now, based on the rebooted game which is more of an origin story.”

Admittedly, the actress doesn’t seem too incredibly familiar with the character or property, but no doubt, the studio got a great director when they hired Roar Uthaug. If you haven’t seen his film The Wave, which is on Netflix now, I highly recommend it, as it’s a great disaster film, and could be informing on how he’ll handle the survival aspects of the character. Like any good actor, Vikander took his talents as a director into consideration, and seemed to use that as her main indicator of whether or not she’d take the job. Based on her response, it almost seemed like that was more the reason she took on the role than the property itself.

Anyways, I digress.

Vikander continued, talking about how the film would be an origin story, based on the rebooted game:

“You could intervene hopefully a great story and a great arc and then within that, have a very entertaining adventure film, which I loved those growing up. And I played the game when I was a kid [laughs]. Anyways, it was a really the real first protagonist I had seen in a video game at that point. And of course Angelina Jolie made her into an icon. So it’s cool to try to step into the shoes and we’re hoping to make something that will hopefully will be fresh and new.”

When asked what Vikander would bring to the role that’s different from what Jolie did, she was again quick to point to the rebooted game as its inspiration:

“I hadn’t played the new rebooted game when I met – and now I have and now it’s quite different. The kind of rebooted the game and it visually looks quite different and it’s like I said, it’s more of an origin story. You’re following this girl who, on her way to becoming what we all know her for, Tomb Raider, Lara Croft.”

Finally, when asked about when she’d start filming, she wasn’t specific, but seemed confident that they’d start this year.

“Well I know they released the release date a few weeks ago. But I’m wrapping up in three days, I have to finish a film with Wim Wenders I’m starting on this film I’ve been developing for two years in August. So it’s going to be off of that. So I think it’s going to be later, by the end of this year.”

What do you think of Vikander’s comments? Do you think she was a good pick for the role? Let us know in the comments down below!

Tomb Raider hits theaters on March 16, 2018.

RELATED: ALICIA VIKANDER IS LARA CROFT IN NEW TOMB RAIDERFILM

SOURCE: Collider