Olivia Wilde Sets Sights On Captain Marvel
We’re well accustomed to Emily Blunt, Natalie Dormer and most recently Ronda Rousey discussing the prospect of taking the lead in ‘Captain Marvel’ in just about every interview they give - now, another actress has stepped up to the plate.
Olivia Wilde, still best known for her role in ‘Tron: Legacy,’ has expressed her interest in taking on Marvel’s superheroine in the comic label-turned-studio’s first female-led solo film.
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Speaking to Cinema Blend, Wilde expresses her admiration for what Marvel has achieved (“I’m a big fan of superhero films, and I have so much respect for the Marvel Cinematic Universe”), and has hopes that their heroines can be developed in a similar fashion to their heroes.
“The thing with female superheroes is that, in order to be powerful, they are flawless. The idea of kick-ass power lacks a certain nuance, at times. There is something to be said for a female director working to create a female superhero that perhaps [has] a little more complexity.”
And it would seem Wilde has a specific female director in mind: Reed Morano, the cinematographer who recently made her directorial debut on indie drama ‘Meadowland’ with Wilde in the lead role.
Morano and Wilde were suggested as a suitable double act for the job on Twitter by Film School Rejects last week - and both women seemed to love the idea:
Morano tells Cinema Blend that, while there has been an outpouring of fan support online, she hasn’t heard from Marvel themselves, but says of the prospect of taking on a superhero movie, “The most interesting characters are the ones who have issues and are flawed individuals. It would be nice to give a real history, to give a real, tangible background to this character.”
Wilde continues, “Marvel has been so smart about casting unexpected people for these roles. Look at what Robert Downey brought to Iron Man. A real, dry sense of humor and a complexity to his hero balance. I think that the way these Marvel heroes are written, the female superheroes included, do have complexity and flaws.
“But I think when they are translated into film, the women can become these ultimate goddesses of perfection and I would love to create a female Marvel character who is just as unexpected and complex as some of the male characters as Iron Man. I think that would be really cool!”
In some respects, Wilde’s comments echo those of screenwriter Meg LeFauve, who is co-writing ‘Captain Marvel’ with Nicole Alonso. Speaking to Collider recently, LeFauve explained the near-invulnerability of Captain Marvel presented a dramatic challenge: “We don’t want the Superman curse. “What’s her vulnerability?” is what we have to figure out.”
Note: Captain Marvel’s alien-induced powers include flight, super-strength, super-speed, super-healing and ESP. It’s not hard to see how making her vulnerable may indeed prove a challenge.
Still, the studio have some time to figure it out, as ‘Captain Marvel’ is not due in cinemas until March 2019 - having recently been pushed back from its previously November 2017 release date to make room for another Marvel movie with a female lead, ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp.’
Picture Credit: Marvel, Disney, WENN, Twitter/Reed Morano/Olivia Wilde
