The massive success of Black Panther at the box office has finally opened up the doors for potential films and blockbusters that Hollywood previously had no interest in making.
Clearly, there is a huge appetite for stories, points-of-views and characters that studios had primitively believed would only interest a minority of moviegoers.
But while Marvel received plaudits for “Black Panther,” the lack of a female led superhero film has always been a blot against their Cinematic Universe, especially because of the prominence of Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow.
That right will finally be wronged with the release of “Captain Marvel” on March 8, 2019, and Karen Gillan, who plays Nebula in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, recently admitted to me that she hopes this will pave the way for “more female ensemble Marvel films.”
After I asked if there had been any progress on the all female “Avengers” film that had previously been touted, Gillan responded, “It is something all of us Marvel actresses have talked about and think would be an amazing project.”
“It is exciting because we have ‘Captain Marvel’ coming out, with Brie Larson in it, and that will be a big celebration for all of us. Because that is the first female led Marvel movie. Hopefully that can lead to more female ensemble Marvel films. That would be amazing.”
That’s when I pointed out that the $1.3 billion gross for “Black Panther,” and the way that helped to invigorate and galvanize audiences, should help to sway Marvel, too.
“The success of ‘Black Panther’ has said a lot about our industry and appetites and what audiences want,” Gillan enthused. “It is always exciting when that happens, because then it’s like, ‘OK, what is going to come from this?’ It is going to open up so many opportunities for other people and so it is exciting.”
First things first, though, because there’s still the small matter of “Avengers: Infinity War,” which will be released on April 27.
Meanwhile, Karen Gillan’s debut as a writer and director on “The Party’s Just Beginning,“ a surreal dark comedy drama that revolves around Liusaidh, also played by Gillan, as she struggles to deal with the suicide of her best friend, will premiere and screen at the Tribeca Film Festival between April 22 and April 26.
