In this odd post-Avengers universe, not much is known beyond sequels as to what Marvel Studios will tackle next. Various projects have been rumored and there have been some speculation, and with Kevin Feige revealing that two Marvel films are currently in development that have not yet been announced, the rumor mill has been working overtime. With Black Widow and Maria Hill making a splash, many argue that there needs to be more female heroines among the team before The Avengers suit up again. Now, it seems that may just be the wish with Carol “Ms. Marvel” Danvers.
At least…maybe. Over at Badhaven, Abby Chandler claims that Marvel head Joe Queseda told convention goers at Kapow! Comic Con in London this weekend that “A script for a Ms/Captain Marvel movie is ready to go. They just needed an actress. Marvel are having a meeting in a couple of weeks and will be ready to announce some films then…He said we’d be pleasantly surprised.”
However, the much more credible CBM says, ”Our own Josh Wilding attended this panel and assures me that Quesada said no such thing during the panel. The reporter supposedly spoke with Quesada off panel but it all seems rather dubious now. Don’t be surprised if Quesada makes a statement denying this.”
Since the attention, Chandler has edited her article to have only a brief mention of Ms. Marvel included with only specificTwitter replies still left standing. But with AICN also at the convention, they also revealed that Queseda was making off-panel comments about Marvel’s female characters that actually seems to coincide with the initial Ms. Marvel report. ”In a chat afterwards, Joe told me that he’d love to make a tentpole movie with a female lead, but that he really doesn’t think there is an actress right now who could carry it, or a character that would work either. I’m thinking I might agree with him on this one actually.”
So, what does this mean? Well…nothing really. It’s important to approach the project as strictly rumor, and to take the mixed reports all with a grain of salt for now. Not to mention,Ms. Marvel is only one of plenty rumored projects that have been going around. Ant-Man, Doctor Strange, a 2015 Hulk, a solo Black Widow film, a S.H.I.E.L.D. film, Guardians of the Galaxy, and others have all been rumored at one point to be a part of Marvel’s next wave of films.
Furthermore, should the report be true, this seems to be a part of a movement to bring more powerful females to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yesterday, we had the report that The Enchantress was rumored to be playing a role in Thor 2, possibly as the main villain and that could certainly open the door for the gender most misrepresented in comic films for sometime now to start building some momentum. For the most part, females are simply damsels in distress in comic book films, with this summer very much seeming to change that with both Black Widow as a strong hero who can play along with even The Hulk and Anne Hathaway’s upcoming performance as Selina Kyle a.k.a. Catwoman hopefully pulling the same weight. Past exceptions include Storm, Jean Grey, and perhaps most notably Peggy Carter from last summer’s Captain America, and it’s that shift that’s been showing women can fight just as much as the men can that has begun to win over audiences in superhero films.
We’ll keep you updated on the rumor, especially as Marvel will reveal the two secret films in the coming weeks before San Diego Comic Con in July.
What do you think? Is Ms. Marvel the right hero for a female-centric solo superhero film? Or, should Marvel still be building other heroes such as Ant-Man, Doctor Strange, and even Black Widow?
