While promoting her new Disney musical
Into The Woods, Emily Blunt spoke to ScreenCrush who brought-up the
Captain Marvel role. Seemingly unfamiliar with both the character and her fan-favorite status. This isn't a new phenomena, actors such as Paul Rudd and Benedict Cumberbatch have played dumb in-front of reporters. When questioned about the possibility of playing Marvel heroes. This is the first time Emily has ever been asked about the character directly, so she can very easily pretend to have no knowledge of her.
It might be a bit harder to come-off ignorant of the character the next time she is asked about her. I'm sure it'll end up start becoming "it's all, rumor man". That said, she could be generally unaware of the character. Yet, that feels off to me since her husband tested for
Captain America and she was cast as Black Widow. You'd think she would have more of an awareness to what the studio is up to, even more so since the Phase Three news was in every trade and news outlet.
This is the entire interview with ScreenCrush, enjoy!
Are you aware of the Internet buzz surrounding you playing Captain Marvel?
Somebody told me about it this morning! I knew because my brother told me.
People want you to play Captain Marvel.
Which is kind of amazing.
You were in ‘Looper’ and ‘Edge of Tomorrow,’ you have that cred now.
I know. What’s she like, though? I don’t know anything about her. What’s it like, this character?
She’s great.
Cool. Is she fun? Or is she just like, straight…
No, she’s witty and strong. That’s why people keep bringing your name up. They don’t want a boring actor. A lot of personality.
Oh, cool.
I think people really liked what they saw in ‘Edge of Tomorrow.’
But it’s not the same type of character?
No. It’s weird I’m explaining this to you...
I know. Someone told me this morning, my brother, actually. They call it fan casting?
Yes.
Which is lovely. It’s my favorite kind of casting! I wish it was always like that.
Sometimes fan casting works.
Which would be cool.
Maybe they can make ‘Captain Marvel’ a musical now that you’ve done ‘Into the Woods.’
[Laughs] ‘Captain Musical Marvel.’ Let’s just call Marvel about that right now. We’ll call Kevin Feige about that. “Kevin Feige, we have one hell of an idea.” Yeah.
“Only if it’s a musical will you get your dream casting.”
Exactly.
But in seriousness, it does appeal to you?
I think, it’s always for me, it’s always about—and now, more so—what am I putting out there? What would be interesting for me and what would be interesting for people to see. So, if it’s an awesome part, it doesn’t matter if it’s a Marvel movie or a tiny movie, I’d be up for it.
You’d be a hero for every 10-year-old girl out there right now.
Really? Then that’s huge.
There’s no Marvel female superhero who has her own movie yet.
That’s huge. How awesome. I love this. No one has actually called me about it, so, we’ll hold our breath. [Laughs] I don’t know if I’ll get the call ever if I pitch it should be a musical.
Blunt talked to
New York Magazine in March 2012 and her reluctancy to be involved with supporting Marvel roles like Peggy Carter. Sort of echoing what Jessica Chastain has said about passing on
Iron Man 3. Perhaps, giving the impression what kind of comic book role she would be interested in playing.
"Usually the female parts in a superhero film feel thankless: She's the pill girlfriend while the guys are whizzing around saving the world," offered Blunt. "I didn't do the other ones because the part wasn't very good or the timing wasn't right, but I'm open to any kind of genre if the part is great and fun and different and a challenge in some way."
"I would love to do a comic-book movie or a science-fiction film that would scare the bejesus out of me," she continued. "Maybe I need to be James Bond! I just did 'Looper,' because it's so original and breathtakingly cool. The time-travel aspect is just a backdrop to visit this heightened world, where you're atoning for something and attempting to be more than you've been."
Here's my case that Marvel wants Blunt for the role of Danvers.
We've been hearing Emily Blunt's name rumored for Carol Danvers since TheDailyMail (known for breaking
Bond news) first linked her and actress Ruth Wilson for the role in
Avengers 2. That happened to be back in October 2012, around the same time the studio was putting together ideas for the sequel. Before it's ultimate announcement next July at SDCC13 as
Avengers: Age of Ultron. This is also around the same time that talk of a
Black Widow spin-off slowly winded-down.
Funny, since we've been hearing from trusted sites and sources that there was a
Ms Marvel cameo in the final
Age of Ultron script. Which could still play-out at the end of
Age of Ultron, unless Marvel axes the nod completely, seemingly the practice when these things leak. Basically, it was predicted back in 2012 that Danvers could be showing-up in
Avengers 2, and it might actually happen. Shocking!
To those naysayers, this might be the reason why we never heard other names in the mix since that original rumor. It's extremely possible that Marvel took in consideration that Blunt was forced out of the Black Widow role by 20th Century Fox. Emily also tested for the role of Peggy Carter but passed on the character. We assume because the role wasn't meaty enough for her at the time, and it's quite possible in late 2012 Marvel put her on a candidate list for Carol Danvers. The studio is known to put actors on wish-lists without their knowledge.
A trade report in 2013 confirmed that a draft for
Captain Marvel existed. It's possible that Marvel's screenwriting program developed an outline in-house and it's perhaps how they've been able to keep the development hush-hush. Kevin Feige stated that a
Captain Marvel film had been in development at the studio almost as long as
Doctor Strange, which could be true. Since the in-house script program wouldn't have revealed writers and what scripts they were working on. There are a pile of these scripts with unnamed titles and writers in their offices.
Some claim it was way too early for Marvel to consider casting for the role, which is kind of stupid if you ask me. Marvel is known for introducing characters in other installments, other than their solo adventures.
Black Panther being a prime example, as he'll be first seen in costume in
Captain America: Civil War and will get his own film in 2017. Marvel had been looking at actors for Panther for years before they announced Chadwick Boseman. I have a suspicion that Danvers might also have a role to play in
Civil War as well.
Why would Marvel cast an actor before a director is even attached? It's likely a simple answer, they have a director already lined-up (Feige said we'll hear a director before casting) or they always knew they wanted Emily for the role (hence name on the top of their list). Due to her previous casting as Black Widow in
Iron Man 2. I'm sure this was done without the awareness of Blunt, but they could have promised her another role in the future.
So who could they have in mind to direct? A bit of speculation on my part, but I have a sneaking feeling that Joss Whedon might be person behind this film. Clearly, early development took place behind closed-doors and Kevin Feige seemingly hints a director might be already chosen. We already know that The Russo Brothers are apparently wanted to direct the two
Infinity War installments. Where does this leave Whedon if he's not making
Avengers anymore?
That's a question a lot of people haven't been asking, automatically thinking he's done with Marvel (even though he has talked about writing a new
Hulk film). Joss did show-up to that Phase Three announcement at the El Capitan, odd since none of his films are apart of that slate. I think it would be sort of odd that he would show-up just for his sneak peek. I'm sure he wanted to hear the fan reaction just as much as Feige did. What if he was directing one of those announced films?
Joss is known for writing strong female characters and already has a working relationship with Kevin Feige/Marvel. It wouldn't be hard to imagine Marvel insisting Whedon develop the film. He did plan on writing-directing
Wonder Woman for Warner Bros. It would eventually get killed, and he would move on to
Avengers instead. That potential for a female-driven superhero story could be refocused with a film like
Captain Marvel. We've heard some interesting things from Whedon about the character. However, a recent interview with HeyUGuys gave some insight he or Marvel may have cracked the character. This eventually became true as the solo film is expected to come out July 2018. Whedon is known for keeping his mouth shut about scripts, and is the kind of writer to keep a secret Marvel script from scoopers.
If Joss Whedon is making
Captain Marvel why are they waiting until 2018 to release it? I think we know the answer to this as well, he's going to be fucking exhausted once he's completed with the press rounds for
Age of Ultron. It also might have to do with the overall release plans of Marvel and not just Joss possibly wanting to make more indie films. Whedon went straight into shooting
A Much Ado About Nothing right after the
Avengers release, that could happen again taking up a good chunk of his time. Having him tackle a smaller production would also give him enough time to put together the best script possible. I'm not excluding the idea that we'll see her possibly in both
Age of Ultron and
Civil War too.
SOURCE: SCREENCRUSH