Way back in 2011, word came down that Marvel had hired their first female director for Thor: The Dark World, and it was Patty Jenkins. Star Natalie Portman was thrilled, and it was seen as a step in the right direction for Marvel. They hadn't had a solo female heroine on the big screen yet, and there was very little diversity when it came to the people behind the camera. However, Jenkins eventually decided to leave the project, and Alan Taylor was brought on instead; it was rumored to cause a rift between Marvel and Portman and was cited as a reason she chose not to return to the third movie. Jenkins went on to direct Wonder Woman for competing studio Warner Bros., and DC and people were left wondering what Marvel missed out. There isn't any bad blood between Jenkins and, as she explained to Marc Maron on the WTF Podcast (via The Playlist), she was still very grateful to Marvel for the opportunity.
"Word got out that I wanted to do a superhero film and to Marvel's credit—on a movie that didn't require a woman at all—they hired me," Jenkins explained. "So, I've always been super grateful to them even though it didn't work out."
Jenkins explained that the script that Marvel wanted to do for Thor: The Dark World was not one that she could make a good movie out of. She knew that if the movie was a critical or commercial failure, it could get her thrown in director jail and possibly derail her entire career.
"They wanted to do a story that I thought was not going to succeed, and I knew it couldn't be me [to fail]," she explained. "It couldn't be me that had that happen. If they hired any guy to do it, it wouldn't be a big deal, but I knew in my heart that I could not make a good movie out of the story they wanted to do."
It turns out that Jenkins was right on the money. Thor: The Dark World did pretty well at the box office and was weirdly one of the more important movies when it came to Avengers: Endgame, but it is often cited as one of the weakest of the Marvel movies. Taylor would even go on to say that it was a miserable experience for him. The stumble of Thor: The Dark World is likely the reason that Marvel decided to give Taika WaititiThor: Ragnarok and let him go freaking nuts with the franchise. It was exactly what the Thor movies needed, and Jenkins very much agrees.
"It was such a good movie," she admitted. "Taika is the most genius fit for Thor of all time. It's amazing. 'Ragnarok' is one of the best Marvel movies of all time. So good and so executed."
Marvel might be kicking themselves for losing the chance to work with Jenkins, but Disney as a whole brought her back in. During the Disney Investor Day, Kathleen Kennedy would be directing a Rogue Squadron movie for Lucasfilm. Marvel managed to make good with Portman, and she is coming back for the Thor: Love and Thunder. So while Thor: The Dark World is part of the reason that phase 2 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is such a mixed bag, it's good that Jenkins can look back at a project that didn't work out so positively.
Summary: Fast forward to the 1980s as Wonder Woman's next big-screen adventure finds her facing two all-new foes: Max Lord and The Cheetah.
Wonder Woman 1984, directed by Patty Jenkins, stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, and Gabriella Wilde. It was released on December 25th in theaters and on HBO Max.
Kaitlyn is the Editor-in-Chief at Bleeding Cool. She loves movies, television, and comics. She's a member of the UFCA and the GALECA. Feminist. Writer. Nerd. Follow her on twitter @katiesmovies and @safaiagem on instagram. She's also a co-host at The Nerd Dome Podcast. Listen to it at http://www.nerddomepodcast.com
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