Has Marvel approached Blunt about the role?
[toggler title=”TL;DR” ]Emily Blunt states that she has not heard from Marvel about the part in Captain Marvel, and raises the issue that the same select few actresses are typecast for strong female characters, because they have portrayed others in previous roles.[/toggler]
[dropcap size=small]E[/dropcap]ver since Marvel announced they would be doing the stand-alone project Captain Marvel – which will feature Carol Danvers (aka Ms. Marvel) – rumours have been flying about the place about who will be filling the role. It’s still early days at the moment – the film isn’t due to be released until 2018, after all – but fans and film buffs have been speculating about the part, and looking to certain actresses who fit the bill.
Edge of Tomorrow star Emily Blunt is at the forefront of the rumour mill for the coveted role – with the consensus being that she is the most popular choice – and word quickly began to spread that she was in talks with Marvel.
So has she actually been approached by Marvel? At the moment, it seems the answer is no. In an interview with Josh Horowitz for MTV News, Blunt put the rumours to rest for the time being, and stated that she had not heard anything about the role.
‘I’ve not had a phone call about it. Not one whisper of Captain Marvel has come my way. Promise.’
Whilst it’s clear that the actress has not yet been offered up anything from Marvel, it’s good to bear in mind that the project is three years away, so there’s still a chance Blunt is in the running.
In an interview with Indiewire, Blunt adressed the rumours again whilst promoting her recent project Sicario, and revealed why she thought people were looking to her for the role.
‘I think it’s because the list is very short, because we don’t see women in these kind of roles. So I think as soon as you do a role like that, like Charlize did or I did, or Rebecca’s done — there’s like four of us or something. And Jen Lawrence. So I feel like us four, we get talked about — and Angie, Angelina. So it’s a list of like, four women who are going to be considered for those kind of roles. So I think that’s why the rumors happen, because they’re like, “who else? Surely not another girl can wield a gun,” you know what I mean? “A woman doing push-ups? There’s only one who can do that.’
It’s great that Blunt gave such an open response on the matter. Clearly she finds it all a bit crazy that so few actresses get bandied around for strong female characters, and she’s right to think so.
Since her striking performance in Edge of Tomorrow – where she played bad-ass Sergeant Rita – it’s unsurprising that people have been quick to think of Blunt for more action roles, but she raises a very valid point about typecasting and female roles. There are a wealth of actresses out there who could do the part justice, but the industry still seems to look at the same select few.
Props to Emily.
Captain Marvel is due for release 2 November, 2018.
