With their cinematic universe continuing to grow, Marvel Studios is well aware that diversity should remain a key element of their offerings. As director/producer Louis D’Esposito pointed out in a conversation today with ComingSoon.net, one very tentative plan for the future involves a female-driven superhero film.
“There’s obviously a drumbeat that is banging louder and louder that we want a female lead superhero,” he says. “ [W]e have strong female characters in our films from Black Widow to Pepper Potts to Peggy Carter and you never know. Maybe there’s an offshoot film with one of them. Or Captain Marvel, you know?”
Although it is by no means confirmation that such a project will move forward, it is interesting to note that D’Esposito previously suggested a Carol Danvers-centric film during the Comic-Con premiere of his latest “One-Shot” short, “Agent Carter” (available with the September 24 home video release of Iron Man 3). At the time, D’Esposito referred to the possibility of a “Ms. Marvel” feature and was quickly informed by cheers from the audience (admittedly led by a Captain Marvel cosplayer) that “Captain” is now the preferred prefix.
Although D’Esposito seems to think a female-led film is inevitable, he also points out that it may still take some time in becoming a reality.
“It’s hard,” he says. “because we have a small group at Marvel. We do two films a year. To get those two films done and to do them right takes a lot of work and manpower. And female-power, obviously. To add a third film and to just put it in the slate right now is difficult. We have these next three, four, five films coming out and that’s what we’re really concentrating on.”
The big screen future of the MCU, as it currently stands, is to continue “Phase Two” with November 8th’s Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier on April 4, 2014, Guardians of the Galaxy on August 1, 2014 through to, finally Avengers: Age of Ultron on May 1, 2015. “Phase Three” will then begin with the Edgar Wright-directed Ant-Man on November 6, 2015. That’s all in addition to the ongoing “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” television series on ABC and future “One-Shot” shorts.
Check back soon for our full conversation with D’Esposito regarding “Agent Carter” and how he plans to balance directing and producing as the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand.
