Marvel have confirmed, via The Hollywood Reporter, that a Ms/Captain Marvel film script is ready and waiting. It seems a bit of a no-brainer, really, given that there also working on bringing the likes of Black Panther, Doctor Strange and Iron Fist to the big screen, and Captain Marvel is just as well known (or not, in the case of non-geeks) as they are. And yet this news came as a shock. Mainly because, until this point, Marvel has shown very little interest in getting female heroes to the big screen. Black Widow will appear in her third Marvel movie next year and is played by one of the most famous actresses on the planet, and yet has no solo movie in sight.
Of course, a Captain Marvel script does not equal a Captain Marvel film. Getting blockbuster films to the big screen is always a tricky proposition, given the money that needs to be put on the line. But film studios are far more reluctant to put that cash down on female-led films than on any number of obscure male heroes. DC turned down a Whedon-helmed Wonder Woman movie but went forward with the less-well-known (but male) Green Lantern. What made them think that Hal Jordan would be a more viable prospect than the Amazing Amazon? Gender.
Because female leads are box office poison. Everyone knows that. Except, of course, it’s a load of bollocks. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons superheroine films don’t get made, shall we?
4. Female-Led Films Don’t Make Money
The Hunger Games was the third biggest-grossing movie of 2012, beaten only by The Avengers and The Dark Knight. In other words, Katniss Everdeen made more money last year than James Bond. (Bella Swan and Princess Merida didn’t do too badly either.)
3. Female Superhero Movies
Bomb At The Box Office
It’s hard to argue against this one, seeing as of the three films about comic book ladies (Supergirl, Elekra and Catwoman) failed to set the film world alight. Elektra, in fact, was the only one not to lose money. However, they all grossed more than the various Punisher movies.
And remember, not all of the male heroes got things right the first time. The 90′s produced Captain America and Fantastic Four films that spectacularly fell on their arses, and Nick Fury wasn’t exactly box office gold before Samuel L Jackson took on the role. That didn’t stop Hollywood from making superhero movies. So why should three bad superheroine movies be enough to condemn the genre?
