While fans are eagerly awaiting the April 27 release ofAvengers: Infinity War, Marvel is currently in production onCaptain Marvel, which is filming in the studio’s new production hub of Atlanta. This movie marks MCU firsts on many fronts, with Brie Larson playing the first ever Marvel female title character, while Anna Boden, who directs alongside her longtime partner Ryan Fleck, becomes the first female director for the Disney owned franchise.
There will also be another historic first within the story itself, which is set in the early 1990s, with producer and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige revealing thatCaptain Marvelis the first superheroNick Fury(Samuel L. Jackson) ever meets, before heloses one of his eyes. Here’s what Kevin Feige had to say, when asked how the 1990s setting opens up new storytelling avenues.
“We wanted to explore a period before Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury had any idea about any of the other heroes and crazy stuff going on in the world. You know, we first met Nick when he told Tony, ‘You’re part of a big universe. You just don’t know yet.’ Well, we want to go back to a time when he didn’t know it yet, and really showcase and announce that Carol Danvers was that first hero that Nick came across. That meant she could be the singular hero, but place it within timing of theMCU. It also got us talking about different genres, exploring this notion of sort of the ’90s action film. We hadn’t necessarily done anything like that before either, so there are definitely homages to our favorite ’90s action films withinCaptain Marvel.”
While the driving force of all theMarvel filmsare the title characters and their superhero stories based on the Marvel Comics, the studio often likes to play with different genres within the construct of their story.Captain America: The Winter Soldier, for example, was inspired by 1970s political thrillers such asThree Days of the Condor,The Parallax ViewandAll the President’s Men. When asked about what 90s action movies helped inspireCaptain Marvel, Kevin Feige had this to say, while also confirming that most of theCaptain Marvelstory is set in outer space.
“Well, not necessarily talking about any particulars of the story, but the action elementsTerminator 2. That’s about as iconic as you get, looking at kind of those cool street level fights, street level car chases, and fun stuff like that. That being said, much of themovie takes place in outer space, as you might think aCaptain Marvelmovie would. Like all of our genre inspirations, there are bits and pieces here and there.”
After the massive success ofBlack Panther, which is closing in on the $1 billion worldwide milestone less than a month after opening in theaters, Kevin Feige was also asked about how the studio will approach inclusion moving forward. The Marvel Studios president revealed that steps have already been taken, with filmmakers that have been hired for future projects they are not ready to announce yet. Here’s what Kevin Feige had to say about Marvel’s approach to diversity and inclusion.
“Yes. I think we’re seeing it shift from a very purposeful initiative to just a fact of life, to just a way of doing business. Then there are people we hired that we’re not ready to announce in all different capacities, particularly behind the camera. AsPantherhas so loudly declared, [representation] can only help you, can only help you tell unique stories, can only help you do things in a new, and unique, and fresh, and exciting way. If you do that, audiences will notice it, and appreciate it, and support it.”
Brie Larson leads theCaptain Marvelcast as Carol Danvers, with Ben Mendelsohn playing the main villain, rumored to be Yon-Rogg, alongside Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Jude Law as Mar-Vell, Gemma Chan as Minn-Erva and DeWanda Wise in an unspecified role. Anna Fleck and Ryan Boden are directing from a script originally written by Nicole Perlman (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Meg LeFauve (Inside Out), which was rewritten by Geneva Robertson-Dworet (Tomb Raider). You can head on over toEntertainment Weeklyfor their full interview with Kevin Feige.
