Dear Marvel Studios,

First off, I’ll just get this out of the way, BIG FAN.

I think what you folks have accomplished within the last 7 years has been tremendous. You guys changed the model of movie franchise building, by simply adopting a similar model based on monthly comic books.

Create separate titles, build on those titles, hint at a bigger story in those titles but still allow those concepts to be their own thing.

It’s a model that became so successful, that other studios are scrambling to copy it. BUT, more importantly….you’ve made some FANTASTIC FILMS. Personally, while I don’t love every single film you’ve guys have made, I definitely don’t HATE any of the films you’ve guys have done. I have been incredibly entertained with every single film that came out of Marvel Studios.

The shared movie universe is a complicated plan, but you guys have had the luck of it delivering and making good stuff on that plan.

Be proud of that….but I think it’s time to realize that not all plans work out.

Look , I don’t know what really happened between you guys and Edgar Wright. I don’t pretend that I know. You each got your reasons, and I’m not here to pick sides. Choices were made, and what’s done is done.

BUT, here’s what I’m noticing.

This week has been a major backlash on you, and you guys seem to want to quickly scramble and get the movie out there. Director choices seem rushed and even desperate (though I was intrigued with the choice of Adam McKay, but it doesn’t seem like he can commit).

But why try to keep making this movie so desperately? Is it because you told all of us at Comic Con that there will be an Ant-Man movie next year and you don’t want to disappoint us?

Guys, I hate to tell you this, but we already are disappointed.

I hope you have been listening to the fan reactions because the truth is we weren’t really excited for an Ant-Man movie, we were excited about Edgar Wright doing a movie with YOU guys.

With Edgar not there….well…we kinda don’t want the Ant-Man movie anymore.

Marvel Studios, I think the best course of action…is to let the movie die. Let it go.

Move on.

I know…money has been spent. You already got an amazing cast for it…but it seems like you guys are rushing a vision just to keep a release date.

Don’t. That’s a risky move, and on top of that, you got a fanbase that will now examine this film hoping for it to fail.

It’s pretty much a lose-lose situation.

Like I said, let it die. Let it join the ranks of many great movies that never got made. Let it live on in legend as that cool movie that could have been. It’s a better place for it.

Now…you wanna make the fans really happy? Then I think the answer is pretty clear, and I even read rumors that you guys have been developing the script to this already.

Ok, if that’s the case, then this might be the best course of action. Let go of Ant-Man, let go of that release date….and announce that you will be making a Carol Danvers Captain Marvel* movie.

I heard that the plan was to make Ant-Man the lead start of Phase 3 of Marvel studios, putting it in the place where Iron Man used to be. Great…but why not break ground and give it to Carol instead?

Instead of yet ANOTHER male comic book movie, give it to a female character that the fans actually really, really, really want to see on the big screen.

Think about that for a second…there are NO female lead superhero/comic book films in the market right now. If you make this movie, you have yet another great reason to stand out from the crowd.

And don’t tell me that female genre lead movies aren’t successful, because by the looks of it, I think a very successful female lead genre film (:::COUGH::::HUNGERGAMESCATCHINGFIRE:::COUGH::) actually BEAT Iron Man 3 and was the highest grossing movie of last year.

And not that you guys need to….but it would be another reason to rub it in to the Distinguished Competition.

This year you have Guardians of the Galaxy. If that movie is both critically and commercial successful, then you guys proved that the bombing of Green Lantern (a far more easier concept to sell and make then GotG…I mean come on, it’s SPACE COPS! It was not that hard.) was more on the execution then the concept or the fact that they should be embracing the silly side of super heroes then be ashamed of it.

So imagine making the first big budgeted female lead superhero film with a character that isn’t well known….while the Distinguished Competition still can’t wrap their heads around giving Wonder Woman (one of THE most famous superheroes) a solo film.

But it’s also not just to make a statement, Carol is a fun/great/cool character that you can build a successful film out of.

Take a lot of inspiration from the current Kelly Sue Deconnick run of the character. Carol can even serve a unique function that actually doesn’t exist in the Marvel cinematic universe…..the straight-man.

In a world that has a sarcastic smartass in metal armor, a WW2 solider out of time, a god, a man who turns into a giant creature and etc. Carol could be the most “normal” character in the Marvel Movie Universe.

That means she can be the perfect audience identifier. Yes, she’s also a skilled pilot as well, but she can react in ways to the strange and the unusual the ways the other characters can’t. And hell, when she DOES get used to it, she can react in ways that feels both right, and hilariously relatable.

Yeah, I’m pushing more of the character based stuff then the powers, because, that’s what your films have excelled at. Great, strong characters. Her powers are ok, but her personality would be a great addition to the movie universe.

Look, I’m not saying that you guys CAN’T make a good Ant-Man movie in this situation. It’s possible.

But really think about this decision.

You can just try your best to make movie from a hard situation, or pause, take a breath, and focus attention on a new direction and think of a new way to get us excited again.

Seriously, listen to fans. They want a female lead super hero film. They’re ready. Carol Danvers is ready. I think you guys are too.

*Sidenote: I am aware that Marvel Studios might want to use her original name, Ms. Marvel, instead just to keep their own brands a bit separate since they already have a franchise with the word CAPTAIN in it. I get that…but screw that. Keep her name as Captain Marvel.

That way, when the time comes, you might even consider using that name to make another movie franchise altogether, this time starring the great Pakistani-American version of Ms. Marvel…

BUT….that is an article for another time….