WONDER WOMAN Director Patty Jenkins Explains Why She Chose Not To Direct Marvel's THOR Sequel

WONDER WOMAN Director Patty Jenkins Explains Why She Chose Not To Direct Marvel's THOR Sequel

In a new interview, Patty Jenkins explains why she ended up parting ways with Marvel's Thor Sequel, and reveals that her original idea for the film was a “Romeo-and-Juliet-esque space opera"...

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By MarkCassidy - Jun 01, 2017 10:06 AM EST
Filed Under: Wonder Woman
Long before Patty Jenkins signed on to helm Wonder Woman she was courted by Marvel Studios to direct their then untitled Thor sequel, but wound up stepping away from the project after only 2 months due to creative differences. Since then, we've heard a few bits and pieces about why she chose to part ways, but now Jenkins outlines exactly why things didn't pan out.

During an interview with Indiewire, the Monster director explains that she simply felt there was no way she could make a good movie with the script they wanted her to work from:

“It was painful and sad because I really loved those guys and I loved the idea of us making a Thor together, but it’s one of those things. You have to make sure that the movie you want to make is fully the right movie for that studio too. It was heartbreaking, but I also knew that it was good… I knew that it was good because I didn’t think I could make a great film out of their script.”

So, what was her vision for the story? Jenkins says it would have been a “Romeo-and-Juliet-esque space opera that hinged on the separation of Thor and Jane Foster,” which would have featured a much larger role for Natalie Portman's character. That does sound more interesting that the somewhat formulaic plot we ended up with, at least.

At any rate, Marvel's loss looks to be DC's gain, as Wonder Woman is getting rave reviews and seems set to lasso a lot of coin when it opens in theaters this weekend.

Do you think Jenkins would have given us a better Thor sequel, or did you like The Dark World as it was? Sound off below.
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JoeMomma29
JoeMomma29 - 6/1/2017, 10:06 AM
Oh well!!!!!!!!!

BackwardGalaxy
BackwardGalaxy - 6/1/2017, 10:33 AM
"I didn’t think I could make a great film out of their script."

It's okay, Patty. Neither could Alan Taylor.
AleSir19
AleSir19 - 6/1/2017, 10:46 AM
@BackwardGalaxy - That is what we call in the industry "Dodge a Bullet", Directors, Screenwriters and Cinematographers, always talk openly about this issue, this is an industry where is really hard to get jobs in a recurrent base, so when a Big Studio like Warner, Disney or Fox give you the chance to make a movie, you almost never say no to them.

But when it comes to Blockbusters, that movie could end up ruining or killing your career, Alan Taylor is a sad case of that, the guy agreed to made two really bad movies.

You even have a worst case, Josh Trank, that guy didnt made anything wrong, he only didnt understood he agreed to be a tool for a Studio and Producers, and when he decide to fight for his vision and his movie, they kill his career and kill his movie.

So Patty did the right thing, it is a shame, but now she has two great movies under her shoulder.
LSHF
LSHF - 6/1/2017, 11:45 AM
@AleSir19 - Good points. Some people give the directors too much credit/blame for success and failure. It is my understanding that most directors don't have script approval and editing rights. And a LOT can change from the time they sign on until it is released (with their name on it).

If they really don't like the end product, they can no longer replace their name with that of "Alan Smithee" (used for decades when directors and writers didn't want their name attached to a project), because of the exposure that name got due to a comedy film about a director actually name Alan Smithee who didn't want his name attached to the project (due to decisions made by the studio).

So, they are stuck having to answer/dodge/etc. questions about decisions they had no control, and, as you pointed out, they have to be very careful who they answer these questions for financial reasons.
auditore
auditore - 6/1/2017, 10:08 AM
“Romeo-and-Juliet-esque space opera that hinged on the separation of Thor and Jane Foster,” MORE JANE FOSTER?i dont love Thor 2 but more jane foster is not the solution for that movie's problems
JonC
JonC - 6/1/2017, 10:52 AM
@auditore - I think her plan was to finally write a good Jane Foster role that people would like.
AleSir19
AleSir19 - 6/1/2017, 10:54 AM
@auditore - Every Marvel Movie has a Main Plot Point for the Entire Cinematic Universe:

-Thor, introduce Thor and Hawkeye. -Captain America: The First Avenger, introduce Captain America and the Space Stone. -Avengers, introduce the Avengers and Thanos. -Iron Man 3, Tony gets rid of the shrapnel. -Captain America: The Winter Soldier, destroy Shields and brings the Mind Stone. -Age of Ultron, The Avengers are broken and new Avengers form, Thanos is out there. -Guardians of the Galaxy, Introduce The Guardians of the Galaxy and Power Stone. -Ant Man, introduce Ant Man. -Doctor Strange, introduce the Doctor and the Multiverse. -Civil War, breack apart the Avengers. -Guardians of the Galaxy 2, filler.

So clearly now we now, who was the Plot Point of Thor 2, wich they clearly didnt handle right: "To Breack Jane Foster and Thor apart, while they introduce the Reality Stone."
BlackHulk
BlackHulk - 6/1/2017, 11:00 AM
@auditore - Jane was mishandled from the jump. If she wasn't going to be a convincing love interest, then she shouldn't have been in the first movie. Come on now, she pretty much "fell in love" with Thor only after knowing him for a little over 24 hours. There was no character development to suggest that the two characters could have been anything more than acquaintances at that point in the series. The chemistry in Thor 2 was even more awkward and that's where Patty could have righted the ship. She could have also ventured away from the disastrous Dark Elves convoluted plot to something more sensible.
auditore
auditore - 6/1/2017, 11:16 AM
@BlackHulk - i still think that dark world was wrong from the concept stage it should be full space adventure it was so cringy to watch a alien invasion movie right after the avengers movie
MyBeard
MyBeard - 6/1/2017, 11:25 AM
@auditore - I remember hearing that Natalie Portman was pissed after it became clear that Patty Jenkins wouldn't be directing. It's at least possible that Jane would have not only been a more compelling character under Patty, but also that a better performance would have been brought out of Natalie.

I haven't seen it yet, but the reviews of Gal Gadot for Wonder Woman would seem to suggest she can get more out of her actors than what another director might. Especially, if someone is just putting in the motions because they are disappointed about a change in director.
LSHF
LSHF - 6/1/2017, 11:49 AM
@MyBeard - Yes, I remember reading that, also. And then she didn't want to do the film, but was contractually obligated to do so. I don't expect we will see her character again.

And, yes, I think she would have had somewhat of a positive influence on Jane's character.

One good thing, overall, as that it seems that Marvel Studios does actually learn from the decisions they make, and the improve at a faster rate than any other studio.

And Perlmutter is no longer influencing film decisions, so that's good.
MediaMan
MediaMan - 6/1/2017, 12:51 PM
@BlackHulk - I've known people to fall in love - for real - almost immediately. As just one example, that happened to a roommate of mine in my younger days. He was REALLY taken with her. They got married, and stayed married until she sadly died relatively young (64) from cancer.
This isn't to say I thought Jane was handled well in the films. She didn't work in the comics either back in the Kirby days, and they wrote her out. I understand from a plot purpose why she's in the first Thor movie, and to some extent the second, but frankly, I'm not sold on what Jenkins said, although we don't really know much about it- if I heard more, I might think her vision was great. Obviously Thor TDW could have been much better, but the flaws in that film are much greater than Jane. And it certainly seems like she's done a fantastic job with WW, so she ended up in the right place for her, and WB. She may have, to a large extent anyway, saved the DCEU.
BlackHulk
BlackHulk - 6/1/2017, 1:25 PM
@MediaMan - I don't think that the concept of falling in love within a 24 hour period is impossible, but Thor did a horrible job of selling it. And I don't blame the actors. They are only as good as what they are given to work with. I think Jenkins could have saved Thor 2 and given the fans what they wanted. And I didn't have a problem with the MCU making Jane an important figure in the grand scheme of things. Thor 1 lead the audience to believe that Jane would have been the link between the cosmic world and Earth, but that storyline was quickly axed which was unfortunate.
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 6/1/2017, 1:58 PM
@auditore - And that is why Jane Foster is not shown anymore in the MCU. I think Feige realized that the Thor films really get brought down by the corny comedy provided by Jane and Darci.
MediaMan
MediaMan - 6/1/2017, 2:14 PM
@BlackHulk - I agree with everything you say, with the one caveat that from the beginning, I didn't expect Jane Foster to last in the MCU, simply because she didn't in the comics. I always figured Sif would replace her as the object of Thor's affections, and felt that Odin's remarks about her (Sif) was a foreshadowing of that. But that said, we're on the same page.
MediaMan
MediaMan - 6/1/2017, 2:17 PM
@BlackHulk - Sorry, meant to say Odin's remarks about Sif in Thor TDW, where he says Thor should pay attention to what's right in front of him, nodding toward Sif, and adds that "I say this not as the All-Father, but as your father." I thought that was a pretty obvious signal of where Marvel was going to take things.
auditore
auditore - 6/1/2017, 2:44 PM
@SonOfAGif - jane always held thor back with superman and louis you dont have that problem because superman's alter ego works with louis lane thor doesn't have a alter ego(in the movies) so the transition between space and earth always feels janky they tried to remove that jankiness with the aether using jane as a host but it didn't work
CapnSquintyEyes
CapnSquintyEyes - 6/1/2017, 6:29 PM
@BlackHulk - But I mean, who didn't fall in love with Chris Hemsworth in 24 hours?
MyBeard
MyBeard - 6/1/2017, 8:20 PM
@SHFL - Since we are very unlikely to see her character again, it would have been great for them to have a solid break-up scene, rather than leave it hanging.
TheSoulEater
TheSoulEater - 6/2/2017, 6:46 AM
@JonC -

People AND Natalie Portman LIKED the version of Jane Foster who dies off, so that Thor can eventually be with Sif, which was the understanding of what would happen when she signed on for the sequel
LSHF
LSHF - 6/2/2017, 10:00 PM
@MyBeard - I agree. I mean, it "was" a big deal to Thor at one point (he even blew off Asgard to spend time with her) and know, nothing. No scenes, no words, no explanation.
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