As if sexist trolls ever stood a chance of taking Carol Danvers down. “Captain Marvel” continues to soar at the box office a month after hitting theaters. The Brie Larson-starrer has officially crossed the $1 billion mark worldwide, making it the first female-led superhero pic to do so. Also making history is Anna Boden, who directed the origin story alongside Ryan Fleck. She’s officially the first woman to helm a live-action film that’s grossed over $1 billion.
“‘Captain Marvel’ has earned $358 million at the domestic box office and $645 million internationally through April 2, and ahead of the character’s appearance in ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ which hits theaters April 26,” The Hollywood Reporter details. “In terms of the genre itself, ‘Captain Marvel’ is the ninth live-action superhero movie to become a member of the elite club; the 10th when including Disney and Pixar’s animated event pic ‘Incredibles 2’ ($1.243 billion).”
When we asked Boden what advice she’d give other female filmmakers, she said, “I guess the first thing that comes to mind would go for any director, which is to try to be yourselves as directors — whether you’re in the room with a potential financier or on set with your actors. Sometimes there can be the tendency to imagine the qualities that a director is supposed to possess and try to act in the way that perfect director would act, but I always find people respond to me best when I put away those ideas of who I should be and start embracing who I am, complete with all my strengths as well as my vulnerabilities.”
Set in 1995, “Captain Marvel” tells the story of Vers/Carol Danvers, a noble warrior caught in the center of a battle between alien races.
“The very nature of [‘Captain Marvel’] means that I’m having conversations that I’d like to have about what it means to be a woman,” Larson has said. “What strength looks like, the complexities of the female experience, female representation. It’s surprising and cool that [for] my first giant movie I get to be having those kinds of conversations. But that’s also why I’ve waited and been particular about what jobs I do,” the Time’s Up supporter explained. She has been vocal about the lack of opportunities for women on-screen and behind the scenes, as well as female critics. The Oscar-winning “Room” actress was among the first to sign the inclusion rider, a clause designed to ensure inclusive cast and crews.
Larson’s feature directorial debut, “Unicorn Store,” hits Netflix tomorrow, April 5. The coming-of-age comedy sees Larson playing a unicorn-obsessed artist.
