Iman Vellani on Her Friendship with 'The Marvels' Costar and 'Older Sister' Brie Larson (Exclusive)

"I think she's really taught me a lot about how to take care of myself," the actress tells PEOPLE

Iman Vellani's character on The Marvels is apparently a big fan of Brie Larson's character on screen. But off-screen, their friendship is even closer.

The actress, 20, opened up to PEOPLE Saturday at the Gold Gala in Los Angeles where she explained that she sees Larson, 33, as something of a "big sister."

Related:Brie Larson Teases Captain Marvel Sequel Costar Zawe Ashton's Role: "Villain Lovers Club"

"We're close and then she's honestly an older sister at this point," Vellani told PEOPLE. "But yeah, I think she's really taught me a lot about how to take care of myself and the importance of self-care mentally and physically, and I really value our friendship."

As for the advice that Larson has given her, Vellani says: "Get a Theragun."

Of course, the actress joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the title character Kamala Khan in Ms. Marvel on Disney+ last year, as Larson makes her return as Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) in their upcoming movie that hits theaters Nov. 10.

An official synopsis reveals that in the film, Captain Marvel "has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence."

"But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe," the synopsis adds. "When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan Kamala Khan, a.k.a. Ms. Marvel, and Carol's estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau."

Related:Brie Larson Teases "a Lot of Really Juicy Things" About Captain Marvel 2 Movie The Marvels

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On Saturday, Vellani explained to PEOPLE that the Ms. Marvel comics "were such a monumental thing in my life in high school" in terms of representation.

"I didn't ever realize that a story like this could just exist out in the open," she added. "I think the fact that we got to have it on Disney+, and Marvel is one of the most successful franchises in the world. It means the world that little girls are going to grow up and have this be something that they could watch on a Friday afternoon."

Marvel Studios debuted the first trailer for the new movie last month, which followed Larson telling Variety in September at the D23 Expo how long she expected to continue playing Carol Denvers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, in an answer that appeared to hint at long-running backlash against her character.

"I don't know — does anyone want me to do it again?" the Oscar winner said. "I don't know, I really don't know. I don't have the answer to that."

Larson, at the time, appeared to address fan backlash her casting and character have received since she joined Marvel Studios' roster of superhero actors in 2016. Her starring role in Captain Marvel marked the MCU's first woman-led film, and she's since reprised the role in 2019's Avengers: Endgame and made appeared in 2021's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Ms. Marvel.

She is listed among the expected cast for 2025's Avengers: Secret Wars, per IMDb.

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