With all the news constantly coming out about the Marvel cinematic universe, let’s focus our attention to yesterday’s Captain Marvel announcement. While it looks like Brie Larson is said to take on the Superman-esque, omni-powerful, masked badass Captain Marvel, that’s not what this story is about.
Actors are fine. Actors for superhero films are a dime a dozen. But it’s the director that is integral to the success of the film. These are dense stories, historical markings of the ideals of any given time. There are elaborate back stories and characterization that need to come to life concisely on the screen without looking like a verbatim read off the comics. It takes the eye of a great director to nail those nuances. In talks to be that director we have Niki Caro of Whale Rider and Jennifer Kent of The Babadook.
Jennifer Kent seems to be the favorite for the part, but it doesn’t seem likely. In an interview with The Guardian, Kent explains:
It’s funny, when I hear people crying about, ‘Oh, female directors are never offered these big tentpole films … what about Jennifer Kent? She’s not doing anything!,’ I sort of read it and chuckle because, well, you have no idea what’s going on at my end – what I’m actually saying no to.
Taken out of context, it sounds a little ridiculous. But the point remains clear: women should be making more movies, but only the movies they want to.