Scarlett Johansson, Tessa Thompson & Others Pitched All-Female Marvel Film

CBR

Johansson, Thompson, Saldana & More Pitched Marvel An All-Female Movie

By Jon Arvedon

Published Oct 31, 2017

Several Marvel Cinematic Universe stars, including Scarlett Johansson and Tessa Thompson, lobbied Kevin Feige for an all-female film.

We learned earlier this month that Thor: Ragnarok star Tessa Thompson had petitioned Marvel Studios for an all-female superhero film. However, the Valkyrie actress now reveals she wasn't the only one to approach studio President Kevin Feige, as Scarlett Johansson, Zoe Saldana, Pom Klementieff, Karen Gillan and Brie Larson joined her in lobbying for such a feature.

"I think in that group was Brie Larson, myself, Zoe Saldana, although she ran off to the bathroom, I think, so she came midway through the pitch but she had been in the rev-up to it," Thompson said in a new interview with CBR. "Scarlett Johansson. Pom [Klementieff] and Karen [Gillan], who are both in the Guardians movies. Yeah, I think it was that group. We were just sort of all in a semicircle talking, and it just came up, because none of us really worked together – well, I suppose Zoe, and Karen, and Pom – and wouldn’t it be nice if we could all work together?"

"And we were sort of speculating on they ways in which it might happen in Infinity War, or might not happen," she continued. "And we thought, 'No, we should just have a whole movie where we know every day we’re going to arrive and get to work together.' So we just ran right up to Kevin Feige and started talking about it."

Thompson said Feige rarely shies away when presented with new ideas for the direction of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "That’s the thing that’s so fantastic about Kevin is you always get general interest from him," she ellaborated. "At least when you start speaking, and then you might get 10 minutes in, and you sense that maybe something is not as exciting. But no, he’s really open to collaboration and wants to hear what we’re interested in."

When Thompson discussed ideas for an all-female MCU film earlier this month, an element from Marvel Comics history that came up was the Lady Liberators, a 1970s all-female team sparked by Enchantress, who disguised herself as Valkyrie to manipulate other female heroes into doing her bidding. The original lineup included current MCU characters such as the Wasp, Scarlet Witch and Black Widow; the team was re-formed in 2008, with She-Hulk as its leader.

Debuting Friday in North America, director Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok stars Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Cate Blanchett as Hela, Idris Elba as Heimdall, Jeff Goldblum as Grandmaster, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, Karl Urban as Skurge, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk and Anthony Hopkins as Odin.