He's busy adding the final touches to Avengers: Age Of Ultron, but that hasn't stopped director Joss Whedon from taking time out to reflect on one of Marvel's most exciting upcoming movies, the female-led Captain Marvel.
A long-time champion of empowered female heroes, Whedon told Buzzfeed that the studio's decision to bring Captain Marvel to cinemas was partly down to the deal the studio struck with Disney.
“[Captain Marvel is] something that [Marvel Studios chief] Kevin [Feige] has been working on for a while,” he says. “And I obviously was a cheerleader, but he had to get all the ducks in a row and get all the minds in agreement.
“I think being a part of Disney maybe makes it easier, because they’re open to it. And Marvel now is in a position to shake up its own paradigm, because it’s got such a success record.”
The director goes on to add that the phenomenal success of Guardians Of The Galaxy could also have opened doors for films that don't feature your typical middle-American, white male hero.
“Honestly, you know, Guardians might have helped it,” he says, “just because that was outside what was considered to be their box and did so well that— well, let’s put it this way: If a raccoon can carry a movie, then they believe maybe even a woman can.”
While internet speculation is rife that Whedon could be Marvel's first choice for the Captain Marvel director's chair – and with his track record, it's not hard to see why – at the moment that seems like wishful thinking.
For now, Whedon is finishing up work on Avengers: Age Of Ultron, which opens in cinemas on 24 April 2015.
