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It's no secret that superhero movies are everywhere. The comic book genre continues to dominate at the box office, with plenty of studios crating their own cinematic universe. As such, plenty of filmmakers and actors have worked on multiple comic book properties. James Gunn, Chris Evans and Peter Dinklage are examples of this, and Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins had the potential to join them; she was actually attached to direct Thor: The Dark World. And now she's explained why she departed that Marvel sequel.
Thor: The Dark World isn't one of the strongest entires in the MCU, with Taika Waititi eventually helping to reignite the franchise with Ragnarok. But considering how successful Wonder Woman was, one has to wonder how Patty Jenkins might have been able to turn things around for Thor's second solo flick. Jenkins recently opened up about her exit from Dark World, saying:
I did not believe that I could make a good movie out of the script that they were planning on doing. I think it would have been a huge deal - it would have looked like it was my fault. It would’ve looked like, ‘Oh my God, this woman directed it and she missed all these things.’ That was the one time in my career where I really felt like, Do this with [another director] and it’s not going to be a big deal. And maybe they’ll understand it and love it more than I do. You can’t do movies you don’t believe in. The only reason to do it would be to prove to people that I could. But it wouldn’t have proved anything if I didn’t succeed. I don’t think that I would have gotten another chance. And so, I’m super grateful.
Well, that was definitely honest. It looks like Patty Jenkins simply wasn't satisfied with Thor 2's script, which explains why she departed over "creative differences." While it was a major gig, Jenkins felt the pressure of producing a quality blockbuster since she'd be breaking new ground as a female director. And she might just have been right.
Marvel fans can re-watch Thor: The Dark World on Disney+. You can use this link for a free 7-day trial to the streaming service.
Patty Jenkins' comments come from her recent interview in Vanity Fair. While promoting Wonder Woman 1984 (which has since been pushed back to August), Jenkins opened up about departing Thor's sequel back in December of 2011. The acclaimed filmmaker hasn't been especially chatty about this subject in the past, so cinephiles will likely be psyched to get a glimpse behind the curtain.
While comic book fans are no doubt curious about how Patty Jenkins would have approached Thor: The Dark World, she felt a certain type of pressure to truly deliver as a female director. The movie is largely considered one of the more disappointing installments in the MCU, so it might have had the potential to reflect badly on Jenkins' work as a filmmaker. And who knows? Maybe she wouldn't have been given the chance to bring Wonder Woman to theaters, and make history. As they say, everything happens for a reason.
Wonder Woman 1984 will finally arrive in theaters on August 14th. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
