Before Patty Jenkins boarded DC's world of gods and monsters by directing the record-shattering superhero solo film WONDER WOMAN for Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment, she had been attached to helm THOR: THE DARK WORLD for Marvel Studios. Jenkins, who'd previously made a name for herself after directing Chalize Theron and Christina Ricci in the Aileen Wuornos biopic MONSTER, exited Marvel's Thor sequel not long after her hiring while citing "creative differences" as he reason for leaving. While some could argue that THOR: THE DARK WORLD could have been a better film if Jenkins had continued to pilot the ship, the in-demand director recently stated that she felt as if there was little she could do to elevate what has since become one of Marvel's worst-reviewed films to date.
Recently while speaking with Vanity Fair, Jenkins explained to the outlet it was the film's questionable script that ultimately led to her exiting the project.
“I did not believe that I could make a good movie out of the script that they were planning on doing,” Jenkins told VF. “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.’”
Given how toxic superhero film fandom can often become, it's possible that Jenkins dodged a bullet when she opted to abandon the Thor sequel, which ultimately landed in the hands of TERMINATOR GENISYS director Alan Taylor. At least when she was approached about directing WONDER WOMAN, Warners and DC had offered her a project she could believe in. Plus, it sounds as if Jenkins was given more creative freedom for Princess Diana's first foray onto the big screen, an aspect of the deal that led to a number of smart decisions that in time birthed a bonafide barn-burner of a film.
“[‘Thor’] 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,” Jenkins said while reflecting on sound decisions made while making a name for herself in Hollywood.
Next up for Patty Jenkins is WONDER WOMAN 1984, which recently saw its theatrical premiere moved to August 14 amid a coronavirus-related scheduling shake up. The upcoming sequel stars Gal Gadot as Diana Prince, aka Wonder Woman; Chris Pine as Steve Trevor; Kristen Wiig as Barbara Minerva / Cheetah; Pedro Pascal as Maxwell Lord; Robin Wright as Antiope; and Connie Neilsen as Hippolyta, among others.
What are your thoughts on THOR: THE DARK WORLD? Is it as bad as so many people think it is, or do you perhaps have an alternate take on Thor's sophomore effort? Let us know in the comments section below.
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