Nia DaCosta, director of the upcoming has a diagnosis for the recent struggles of superhero movies. It basically comes down to, she says, B次元官网网址淢oB次元官网网址� money, moB次元官网网址� problems.B次元官网网址�
Success inevitably breeds bigger budgets. Box-office expectations get inflated. Even superhero spandex canB次元官网网址檛 sustain endless cycles of wash, rinse and repeat.
B次元官网网址淕rowth has to stop at some point,B次元官网网址� says DaCosta. B次元官网网址淎s you make more and more films, you want those films to be more interesting, more dynamic and to appeal to different audiences. But that requires risk. And thereB次元官网网址檚 a conundrum where youB次元官网网址檙e so big that you canB次元官网网址檛 take risks. I think thatB次元官网网址檚 what the audience is feeling. TheyB次元官网网址檙e like: B次元官网网址業B次元官网网址檝e seen it before, and I liked it the first time.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
When B次元官网网址淭he MarvelsB次元官网网址� opens in theaters Friday, it will be debuting in uncommonly uncertain times for superhero films. ThereB次元官网网址檚 . DC and Warner Bros. are in . Box office-dominance this year has been ceded to and
While no oneB次元官网网址檚 doubting the supersized place of superheroes in Hollywood, mass success for Marvel no longer seems quite so automatic. For DaCosta, whose two previous films were and the acclaimed 2018 indie crime drama itB次元官网网址檚 imperative that superhero movies aspire to be fresh and daring B次元官网网址� films, she says, like
B次元官网网址淭he more we can do that as an industry, the better,B次元官网网址� DaCosta said in a recent interview, praising the originality of that animated Marvel movie released earlier this year. B次元官网网址淚 also think you have to not set your sights on such a big box-office return so then you can comfortably take risks.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭he Marvels,B次元官网网址� which stars Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Samuel L. Jackson, isnB次元官网网址檛 anyoneB次元官网网址檚 idea of going far out on a limb. ItB次元官网网址檚 loosely a sequel to 2019B次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淐aptain Marvel,B次元官网网址� which surpassed $1.1 billion worldwide. By any measure, B次元官网网址淭he MarvelsB次元官网网址� is one of the fallB次元官网网址檚 most anticipated titles.
But itB次元官网网址檚 also a big-budget attempt to try some new things. ItB次元官网网址檚 the first Marvel movie to feature not just all-female leads but a female villain (Zawe Ashton plays Dar-Benn), as well. DaCosta, 33, is the youngest filmmaker to helm an MCU release. More importantly, sheB次元官网网址檚 the first Black woman to direct a Marvel movie.
B次元官网网址淒ay to day, I donB次元官网网址檛 really think about it. But it is nice to finally have a Black woman directing one B次元官网网址� it just happens to be me,B次元官网网址� DaCosta says, laughing. B次元官网网址淲hat was cool about realizing that, I was sort of like: Wow, IB次元官网网址檓 the first Black woman. But IB次元官网网址檓 also the third woman and the fourth or fifth person of color. It was cool to see that I wasnB次元官网网址檛 just stepping into an all-white, all-male world.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭he MarvelsB次元官网网址� brings together Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Larson), Monica Rambeau/Photon (Parris) and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel (Vellani). While originally conceived as a post-B次元官网网址淓ndgameB次元官网网址� follow-up to B次元官网网址淐aptain Marvel,B次元官网网址� Marvel chief Kevin Feige was drawn to the chance to unite Captain Marvel with Rambeau from and Ms. Marvel of
In B次元官网网址淭he Marvels,B次元官网网址� the trio has become linked. Every time they use their powers, they swap places with each other, causing their worlds to collide in comic and surreal ways.
B次元官网网址淲hen I was reading the outline that they sent me initially before I was pitching, I was like, B次元官网网址楾his is insane,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� DaCosta says. B次元官网网址淚t felt so comic book-y. I was like, B次元官网网址榃ow, theyB次元官网网址檙e really going for it.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
DaCosta was drawn to what she calls B次元官网网址渁 really crazy, sci-fi space operaB次元官网网址� that was wacky and tonally different from most MCU films.
B次元官网网址淚 wanted to honor what they set out to do, which is make something very frankly strange,B次元官网网址� she says.
The heart of the film for DaCosta is about the dichotomy of Danvers and Ms. Marvel. While Danvers has been tirelessly doing the solitary work of Captain Marvel out in deep space, Ms. MarvelB次元官网网址檚 foundation is her family.
DaCosta, a self-described workaholic, can relate.
B次元官网网址淚 mean, this my third film in six years and IB次元官网网址檓 onto my fourth,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 from New York City and my familyB次元官网网址檚 mostly there and IB次元官网网址檝e never shot there since IB次元官网网址檝e been working. My mom once forgot to invite me to a family thing because she forgot I was in town. Stuff like that makes me go, B次元官网网址業 need to connect more.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
ThatB次元官网网址檚 hard, though, when youB次元官网网址檙e one of HollywoodB次元官网网址檚 fastest rising directors. DaCostaB次元官网网址檚 ascent has been meteoric but steady, yet sheB次元官网网址檚 more comfortable with self-deprecation than self-promotion. Instead, her level-headed filmmaking talent B次元官网网址� particularly for conjuring atmosphere and playing with perspective B次元官网网址� has fueled her success.
DaCosta was speaking from London where sheB次元官网网址檚 preparing to make an adaptation of Henrik IbsenB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淗edda Gabler,B次元官网网址� with B次元官网网址淟ittle WoodsB次元官网网址� star Tessa Thompson. With the holding up all studio productions, DaCosta was itching to get going B次元官网网址� and only occasionally pacified by her half-Yorkie, half-Maltese dog named Maude.
After making B次元官网网址淐andyman,B次元官网网址� a Marvel movie was, DaCosta says, B次元官网网址渄efinitely not in my near future.B次元官网网址� But it also wasnB次元官网网址檛 entirely off her radar. SheB次元官网网址檚 wanted to direct one since she started making films and traces her interest directly to Sam RaimiB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淪pider-Man.B次元官网网址� She saw it when she was 12. B次元官网网址淎nd I still love it,B次元官网网址� she says.
When DaCosta was tapped to helm B次元官网网址淭he Marvels,B次元官网网址� Feige encouraged her to reach out to other Marvel movie directors for advice. The bit that most stuck with her came from B次元官网网址淏lack PantherB次元官网网址� director Ryan Coogler. He said simply: B次元官网网址淏e yourself.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚 was like, B次元官网网址榃ait, what?B次元官网网址� Then I kind of got it,B次元官网网址� says DaCosta. B次元官网网址淗e was like: Just bring yourself to it. ItB次元官网网址檚 a big thing. ItB次元官网网址檚 really a Kevin Feige movie, itB次元官网网址檚 a Marvel film. But they chose you for a reason.B次元官网网址�
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