Olivia Wilde wants flawed and complex female superheroes

About a week ago, a Twitter user suggested that Meadowland director Reed Morano and the film’s star, Olivia Wilde, team up again on the upcoming Captain Marvel movie. Wilde’s response? “Oh hell yea. Let’s DO this.”

Not only are Morano and Wilde both game, but in an interview with Cinema Blend, they both said they have some ideas on what their ideal Captain Marvel would look like. Specifically, Wilde emphasized the importance of complex and complicated female heroes — flaws and all. 

“I’m a big fan of superhero films, and I have so much respect for the Marvel Cinematic Universe,” Wilde told Cinema Blend. “The thing with female superheroes is that, in order to be powerful, they are flawless. The idea of kick-ass power lacks a certain nuance, at times. There is something to be said for a female director working to create a female superhero that perhaps [has] a little more complexity.”

This year has seen an increase in multifaceted female superheroes, especially on TV with Supergirl and the upcoming Jessica Jones, and although Wilde especially praised Marvel for its complex, interesting heroines, she also suggested that filmmakers could still do more.

“Marvel has been so smart about casting unexpected people for these roles,” Wilde said. “Look at what Robert Downey brought to Iron Man. A real, dry sense of humor and a complexity to his hero balance. I think that the way these Marvel heroes are written, the female superheroes included, do have complexity and flaws. But I think when they are translated into film, the women can become these ultimate goddesses of perfection and I would love to create a female Marvel character who is just as unexpected and complex as some of the male characters as Iron Man. I think that would be really cool!”

Captain Marvel is set to hit theaters on Nov. 2, 2018.