A Twitter user had a simple suggestion: what if Olivia Wilde and "Meadowland" director Reed Morano took on Marvel's "Captain Marvel" to give the adaptation a double dose of female empowerment? It turns out, Wilde took the suggestion seriously, sharing what she would like to see in female superheroes.
As a big fan of superhero films, Wilde said she has so much respect for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, what she's seeing in female superheroes is that they are made to be flawless to show that they are powerful, that to have a kick-ass power is to a lack a certain nuance. Given this trend, Wilde believes that there is something to be said to have a female director, like Moran, create a female superhero with a little bit more complexity.
Marvel is indeed moving in the direction of highlighting female superheroes, but it's not quite there yet. So far, there's Black Widow exploring her complicated history in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" and "The Avengers: Age of Ultron," and Gamora and Nebula in "Guardians of the Galaxy." "Captain America: Civil War" will also have Scarlet Witch dealing with a devastating loss when she returns to the big screen.
Wilde shared further details on the changes she'd want to see in a movie featuring a female superhero, noting that Marvel has always made smart choices about its cast. She used Robert Downey, Jr. as an example, citing the complexity and dry sense of humor he brought to balance out Iron Man. She thinks Marvel heroes, the female ones included, are written to have flaws and complexity, but these don't translate to films in the same way.
"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," she said.
Morano, for her part, hasn't been as vocal as Wilde when it comes to her ideas for a movie involving a female superhero but she did admit that she's interested in taking on "Captain Marvel," saying that the most interesting of characters are the flawed individuals, the ones with issues.
"Captain Marvel" isn't due until 2019 so maybe there's a chance Wilde and Morano have a shot at creating more complex female superheroes?
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