Hey guys!
Disclaimer, I wrote a lot. So, be ready. I also didn't use any images, because this is my FIRST article on this site and I wasn't sure how much more work I should have put into it, mostly because I have no idea how many people are even going to read it. But, I certainly would appreciate the feedback and I hope my suggestions make you think.
Okay, right away let's talk about the possible upcoming Marvel female superhero movie that may or may not happen. Obviously there has been discussion about who it would be and what would be the appropriate way to introduce the character, since female superhero movies haven't done well in the past. Marvel has a unique opportunity to correct this awful taboo and create a female powered franchise. Since this female superhero movie isn't going to surface until PHASE 3, we have about four or five years of wiggle room here.
How? Well, let's talk about consultants for a second. --- On a separate tangent, I'm very disappointed that Disney employed JJ Abrams for the new Star Wars film, when he could have been better utilized bringing a female superhero to screen. His work on Alias proves that he knows how to write for a female lead. But also, his successful chick-flick soap of the 90's, Felicity, lasted four seasons. He knows how to write for women, he knows how to capitalize on their success. Honestly, next to Joss Whedon, I feel like JJ Abrams is the best director/writer for female characters.
ANYWHOO -->
Marvel needs to do their research on directors/writers for successful female-led franchises. Now, this director/writer/producers name alone doesn't necessarily need to resonate with their viewers -- For example, Alan Taylor is directing Thor 2, I know nothing about him but I'm going to watch the movie. His name is irrelevant. But he does have experience in Game of Thrones, so the director is familiar with the genre, so that's a plus.
The other thing I want to point out is that big-screen cinematic adaptations might not want to be their starting point. More on that later -
The people that I would be consulting are:
1. Shonda Rhimes. Some people may know her as the creators and executive producers of ABC's hit shows such as Greys Anatomy and the critically acclaimed Scandal. This woman knows how to write for women, she knows how to make them strong without making a direct statement. Shonda Rhimes does have two directing credits, but mostly serves as a writer and executive producer. Comic book fans could easily see the two shows that I've listed and roll their eyes, however you cant argue with the success of her shows. Greys Anatomy is going into its 10th Season with no signs of cancellation. Say what you want, but that's success. And since Disney basically owns ABC, Shonda Rhimes technically works for them, so it could be a seamless commission.
2. Mike Kelley. He is a writer and executive producer/show runner of ABC's hit show Revenge. Revenge is basically a contemporary re-imagining of Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo from a female perspective and it stars Emily Van Camp, who is playing Agent 13/Sharon Carter in CA2:TWS. Revenge is a guilty pleasure of mine and yes it does hinge on the soap-opera bit of things, however the writing for the female characters it outstanding and again it's a strong female television show in the female perspective. Mike Kelly left Revenge at the beginning of Season 3 as showrunner and is available, and since ABC has a working reputation with him, it should be a no brainer to consult him.
3. My third recommendation is Janet Tamaro. She is an American television writer and series creator, executive producer and showrunner - most notably she ADAPTED the very successful television series Rizzoli & Isles and is the current showrunner. Rizzoli & Isles is a famous book series and this woman took the source material and adapted into an addictive weekly drama about two strong female lead characters, kicking ass and taking names. I can't say how well she would be at directing, but having her consulting on a script adaptation of source material wouldn't be a bad idea due to her success at already doing so.
The reason I've selected three people who have very successful work on television shows is because Marvel Studios has a unique vehicle in introducing new characters, and that is "Agents of Shield" premiering this week. As we can already predict, we're probably not going to be seeing Chris Evans or RDJ appearing on the show, because they're too expensive and already have cash-cow franchises. However, this show represents the unique ability to adapt a relatively big character, see how popular they are with fans and then adapt them further.
For example, Ms. Marvel or Captain Marvel, whichever you prefer. (Sidenote, I prefer Ms. Marvel, I'm one of those. Captain Marvel just doesn't suit her in my opinion. But again, just my opinion.) Anyway, they could introduce Carol Danvers and dedicate an entire shield episode to her and in a way, get her "Origin Story" out of the way through a television medium, rather than a full screenplay. If she's successful, then they can decide to franchise it from th e show, but it can start there.
The obvious downside, if the characters reception is negative then Marvel Studio's lost out on a potential franchise character, because they wouldn't want to ret-con and ruin continuity. But this way they can test the waters and popularity and make an informed decision.
The major problem with adapting some of the popular female characters is that they really don't have a great rogues gallery. Let's take a look at the failed film Elektra. While, I honestly think that Jennifer Garner was perfect for the role, the assassin doesn't really have many cinematic adversaries. When Elektra came out I was 15 and I thought the ideal approach would be to make a revenge movie and make the villain Bullseye again. But no, they went with the Hand and ended up not even making the movie about her, it was about the other girl in the movie.
I digress, because we could write a dissertation with everything wrong with that movie. But the point still stands - It would be hard to adapt Ms. Marvel because she doesn't have many big-bads. Not many that we'd all care to see on screen. Captain America had Red Skull. Thor has Loki. Iron Man has the Mandarin, who does Ms. Marvel have?
...*Krickets*
Anyway, with Agents of Shield, we have the opportunity to explore these characters and not have to set up a big villain, not just yet. I'm not pretentious enough to assume how they would write a Ms. Marvel origin story. She could easily be an Air Force Pilot at the wrong place at the wrong time when the SHIELD operatives are dealing with the KREE --- and her origin episode could also be an introduction to the KREE in general - unless addressed in GOTG of course. "Agents of SHIELD" could easily dedicate an episode or two for her, so we can see her in action and if popular, then she could be franchised and make cameo's in other films ala Nick Fury in Iron Man 1 and Tony Stark in the Incredible Hulk. Fans eat that stuff up and they get excited and the anticipation builds. The cross-promotional abilities are limitless.
Some people might question whether this kind of exposure is effective. I ask you to look back at Hercules: The Legendary Journeys back in the early 90's. That series introduced Xena: Warrior Princess, originally Xena was just going to be a foil for Hercules every now and then, but she proved so popular and Lucy Lawless was so compelling that Xena: Warrior Princess enjoyed a successful Six-Season Television Series. That is success and it can be done.
On the question of who should play Ms. Marvel, the fan-favorite these days is Katee Sackhoff. Initially I was concerned. However, I recently watched the new Riddick movie, and she has this strong, broad appeal to her that would work with Ms. Marvel. She doesn't need someone dainty, she needs to be someone who looks like she'll kick your ass. And she does. We also know she can handle franchise material because of her work on Battlestar Galactica as well as her current television show: Longmire. And since she's committed to a show like Longmire, which has limited episode counts, she has more availability than other actresses.
My personal favorite choice is Charlize Theron. However, her participation is probably doubtful due to the fact that's probably too expensive for a risk franchise. However, according to IMDB, it doesn't appear she's attached to any projects after 2014 (yet) so her availability is open and she's a household name. People pay to see her.
Other characters I would like to see a part of Phase 3 that could be introduced through "Agents of SHIELD" would be She-Hulk, Songbird, Tigra and Mockingbird.
For She-Hulk, her inclusion via Agents of SHIELD would be one of the easiest by far. Jennifer Walters could be attacked because she's an attorney that knew too much about a crimeboss. SHIELD has interest in what she knows and the Crimeboss, they know that she's Bruce Banners cousin, because Bruce Banner is an Avenger, they have access to things like his blood and offered it as a transfusion, she transforms - albeit a little differently - and helps the SHIELD Operatives and Boom! Episode-long origin story. Depending on her popularity, she can be brought back for a few episodes, or, she could also show up as an easter-egg to another franchise and possibly make an appear in a Phase 3 movie or Avengers 3.
For Casting, I'm just going to Angie Harmon. The woman has the build, the height, she already has a knack for playing strong characters. And she's expressed interest in playing the role and there's a lot to be said about an actor playing a character they really want to play.
For Songbird her inclusion would probably also be the second easiest, and she could also help set up an entirely new franchise - The Thunderbolts. In my opinion, I would say her biography could be adapted and I wouldn't mind. I appreciated her initial inclusion of meeting a female wrestling gang who were denied the big-time and then signed an under the table deal and became villians. I think that's cool for comic books, I wouldn't say that would make a good movie or a good television episode. I don't think it would be taken seriously the way it would want. They can keep that she's a runaway, comes from a damaged family, i like that she becomes involved in wrestling, it shows that she has a hard-edge and doesn't take peoples crap. But it can also be a story of a girl who is misguided and is doing things to survive. She could easily be an antagonist for SHIELD operatives for awhile. She could be a recurring character and that would be awesome. Eventually, she could become reformed and help establish a Thunderbolts franchise.
For casting, I could go either way with an unknown or an a-lister. It all depends on how she's written. If she's depicted as a runaway from a bad family and trying to make it on her own, then she's probably relatively young, or hasn't been in the criminal business for long. I would either choose Anna Kendrick or Holland Roden.
Anna Kendrick is one of the recent up-and-coming stars of our generation and she's young enough to handle a franchise for many years. She's a selective actress and picks roles very smartly, which does her good as she's usually critically acclaimed. The problem with Kendricks would be availability. She is extremely sought after right now and she has projects planned up until 2016.
Holland Roden isn't known for much aside from her series regular role on MTV's Teen Wolf. However, she has a very mature depth to her acting - she also plays a Banshee, so she has practice screaming a lot. Okay, so that's not important, but fun - and again, she has a large fan following for a relatively unknown. From a business perspective, she would be a smart choice. Also, since Teen Wolf usually has small seasons (with the exception of Season 3), her availability would make her a sound choice.
Mockingbird is an Agent of Shield. So, I lied, I feel like her introduction could be the easiest - depending on how they do it, of course. Ka-Zar, who is from the Savage Land - which I my opinion, is bigger in the X-men universe than any, so...I'm not sure if Marvel has the rights to the character/location - could be someone that SHIELD has interest in and monitors closely, and they do this by deploying Barbara "Bobbi" Morse. The way I would handle it is by having the episode start with Bobbi being exposed as SHIELD, after having been on a mission for some time, and then the AGENTS OF SHIELD come in to assist. Mockingbird is a character that I feel is constantly overlooked, people forget how important she is to Hawkeye and how she is kind of a foil for Black Widow. I would LOVE to see that kind of conflict on-screen. The downside to this character's longevity on the series is that they probably couldn't get Scarlett Johansson or Jeremy Renner on the TV Show. But, IF Hawkeye is a phase 3 movie, this could be great introduction for Mockingbird.
I've always thought Eliza Dushku would be an amazing Mockingbird. The girl is known to play kick-ass female character types, so she's no stranger to the genre and she has a great working relationship with Marvel's Cinematic top consultant, Joss Whedon. He knows how to write for her and it would be easy.
The final character I have for you today is Tigra. I feel like she would be the HARDEST to introduce. Now, my history of Tigra is a little fuzzy, but from what I understand, her race has a lot to do with the more magical properties of Marvel. But basically its a rare race, HYDRA Attacks, Greer Grant becomes the Tigra - a power protector of that race - and drives HYDRA Off and becomes a champion of her people. I'm not gonna lie, in television format, her costume could look extremely cheesy unless all of the budget is used on her costume. However, it is 2013 and ABC Is a rich network, so I may be surprised. Her introduction could just be a SHIELD vs. HYDRA Storyline and she helps SHIELD operatives, unintentionally at first, and her introduction could be shown in flashbacks. Anywho, because her character comes from a magical race, her inclusion could make it easier to introduce characters like Dr. Strange, or she could be used in a Dr. Strange movie.
For casting, hands down- Mila Kunis. Already a fan-favorite for anything, she's shown her range of acting. We know she's a nerd and that she would probably be more than willing to play this if offered and she also has played in roles where she can kick some serious ass: Book of Eli, being a big one. Mila Kunis is attached to many upcoming projects so her availability could be limited for a big project, however if commissioned for an episode or two and then well received, they might be able to make a deal for a cinamatic return.
Okay. There are my ideas. To sum up, essentially i think it would be smart for Marvel to consult with showrunners, writers, producers that have success in current franchises that support strong, female characters. And then I would utilize their TV show, AGENTS OF SHIELD, to introduce these characters first, test their popularity, and then develop a film franchise from there.
Obviously there are probably going to many that disagree with me and that's fine. I really want a female superhero movie as well, but I want one to be successful, otherwise there's no point. We all know that with Female Superhero's it's more difficult to adapt, so why not utilize different resources to make a it a reality? It's certainly better than serving another film like Elektra, right?
If there are any of you who made it to the end, thank you so much for listening to what I have to say and my input!
- Clay