Quite a few rumors, speculations, fan suggestions, and some campaigns have linked quite a few actresses to the role of Carol Danvers in Marvel’s first female-led movie, Captain Marvel. However, the studio is likely focused on finding a filmmaker to help bring the superheroine to the big-screen. Which is why Reed Morano, who recently made her feature film debut with Meadowland, had recently thrown her name in the hat to direct Captain Marvel with Olivia Wilde in the titular role.







Speaking with MCU Exchange about what ignited her interest in Captain Marvel, Morano says that it was a random suggestion by which she was very much intrigued. “I just want to tell good stories with rich, complex characters,” she said. “Carol Danvers’ story is the perfect example of that, with stories like her battle with alcoholism as she is losing her powers and her struggle with the loss of her memories. It excites me to see her story told because she’s a female superhero that is completely three dimensional and compelling. She has flaws and she is struggling.” About what attracts her to the superhero genre and Marvel in particular, Morano admitted she’s not a comic geek. “I only know what I know mainly from watching superhero movies all my life,” she said. “What attracts me most about this genre is the characters often have this self-destructive behavior, which goes against the grain of what you expect from a superhero. This is especially evident in Marvel films, such as Iron Man. They don’t have to be likeable, and that dichotomy exists of having all these otherworldly powers yet barely able to squash their own demons.”



When asked what she could bring to Captain Marvel, Reed Morano explained how some female comic book characters are often diminished. “There’ve been Marvel superheroes brought to the screen successfully in a way that retained their flaws and layers from the original comic but sometimes when these complex female characters get translated to the screen, they often become less interesting and layered than the way they were originally written,” she explained. “They sometimes become more about a being an image - a physical female ideal. As an audience member, I would love to watch a film with an intelligent, badass female superhero who is [frick]ed up inside and has to work to overcome that – someone who has a dynamic character arc and who is going on a tumultuous journey. Humanizing superheroes and making the audience connect more to them emotionally has the power to result in a much more impactful cinematic experience. In Meadowland one of the things I explored, was trying to create as visceral an experience as possible for the viewer – to allow the audience to connect and empathize with that couple even though they were being unpredictable. I feel like Olivia and I have only just begun to scratch the surface of what we’re capable of together.” As for other characters she’d like to see Danvers interact with, Morano suggested the current Captain Marvel iteration. “Maybe Kamala Khan because of her idolizing Carol Danvers and her taking on the Ms. Marvel name after Danvers drops it,” she said. “There could be a scary, obsessive Single White Female or even Black Swan type vibe, which could make for a very dark relationship between the two of them, further complicating Danvers’ journey.” With screenwriters Meg LeFauve and Nicole Perlman currently scripting the movie, Captain Marvel is set to hit theaters on March 8, 2019. What do you think?



