George Chrysostomou pitches his all-female Marvel movie…
Although it’s since been said that it was blown out of proportion by the press, it was revealed last year that many of the female stars of the Marvel Cinematic Universe approached Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige regarding the prospect of an all-female Marvel team-up movie.
With Avengers: Infinity War putting the women of Marvel at the forefront, Ant-Man and the Wasp giving a female character a leading role for the first time in the MCU, and Captain Marvel and Black Widow on the horizon as female-led solo films, the logical next step of course would seem to be the team-up.
With this news regularly gaining traction, I went to the drawing (or rather writing board) to figure out how you could make an all female film work in the MCU – and the answer to this could of course be found in the comics:
The Team
The obvious answer to many, and the right answer in my opinion, is an adaptation of A-Force – a team founded around the time that the latest Secret Wars were taking place. Not only one of the most notable female teams in the Marvel universe, the title also has a marketing link to the Avengers franchise – one can only imagine the Avengers A on the poster for A-Force. Plus, it’s just a cool name. The team itself is also quite easy to figure out, although this is where the problems arise.
Based on the actresses that were said to have pitched the idea to Feige, the team would likely consist of Scarlet Witch, Nebula, Gamora, The Wasp, Mantis, Shuri, Okoye and the Dora Milaje, Black Widow, Captain Marvel and Valkyrie (personally, I would like to see some TV characters featured as well but I know this is unlikely). The issue here is perhaps evident. Apart from the cosmic level threat of Thanos, there is no reason why these characters would come together, with them being split not only across the world, but also across space.
Furthermore, for heroes such as Gamora and Nebula, or the Wasp, who work in teams, it makes no sense for their male counterparts to be left behind. But, there is a solution to that!
The Location
One of the most interesting storylines featuring A-Force revolved around the planet known as Battleworld. This could serve as our primary location for the film and also introduce the villains of the piece. Battleworld is a great location, as it continues on nicely from Thor: Ragnarok and the Contest of Champions, as well as giving a good storyline reason for why we have an all female team. By having someone rule over this world, who wishes to see female fighters rather than male combatants, we have an incentive and explanation as to why there should be a female team to save those trapped there. Plus, it provides a great opportunity to have some fun female cameos, like a returning Sif or Angela.
Battleworld would also provide an opportunity to set up S.W.O.R.D. which would make a lot of narrative sense in the MCU. Setting up the space station, using the technology of Wakanda and putting a newly introduced Abigal Brand in charge, with Agent 13 alongside her, this gives a really good location and team link between Earth and space. For this to really work, to me it makes sense that the villains of the piece capture the Scarlet Witch, Okoye, Nebula, Black Widow, Wasp and Valkyrie on Battleworld. Some of the fiercest warriors in the galaxy, they are not only from different backgrounds, requiring different characters to team up but also put a lot of Earth characters in a very new situation.
The Villains
Battleworld allows Marvel to bring back some established and beloved villains as well as introducing us to someone new. It completely makes sense for the Grandmaster and the Collector to finally team up as the two who run the day-to-day of Battleworld. With Collector gathering the combatants and Grandmaster creating the dangerous scenarios, much like an intergalactic Hunger Games, this is the team up fans have waited to see happen, with fantastic chemistry likely to come with the pair.
The big bad should of course be the Beyonder, a cosmic entity that should be portrayed as both charismatic and creepy. The white suit would give him a smooth but unnerving quality and his power level provides a very good antagonist to the extremely skilled and strong A-Force. As this story is starting to come together, it is providing great opportunities for character interactions, potential battles with cosmic cameos and a lot of humour.
Other Heroes
Along with characters such as Agent 13, Abigail Brand and Maria Hill, a fun opportunity here would be to have a Hawkeye and Ant-Man team up, searching for Black Widow and Wasp as a comedic duo who are a step behind the women. Although there are a lot of players here to juggle, this is certainly plausible and a cool subplot to explore, perhaps even with other run ins with the likes of the remaining Guardians who offer very little help in the situation.
What The Story Achieves
This story would not only cement a brand new intergalactic protection division in S.W.O.R.D., showcase the women of Marvel, provide an opportunity to introduce new characters and have great cameos, feature compelling villains and have a fun and unique subplot, but it would also categorically show that the A-Force team is on the same level as the Avengers, if not better, as they run circles round their male counterparts in the chase to save those on Battleworld. There is no damsel in distress here, only strong and powerful heroes facing a new threat and a variety of different situations that place them well out of their comfort zone but still prove to be the making point for a brand new team!
What do you think about this story pitch? Do you have a better idea for an all-female Marvel movie? Let us know in the comments section below…
George Chrysostomou
