Exclusive: Christopher Nolan In Talks With Marvel To Direct
Christopher Nolan could be jumping ship to Marvel.
This article is more than 2 years old
Christopher Nolan permanently changed the landscape of superhero cinema with his Batman trilogy. Those films still cast a long shadow over the genre and certainly the DC cinematic universe. There is no denying that Nolan’s influence continues to be felt in the realm of superhero movies. And even when he stopped making them, he has been a loyal director with Warner Bros., the studio that owns the DC characters. However, it sounds like he could be looking at what the competition has to offer and it could be a major shakeup for the future of superheroes in film.
According to our trusted inside source – the same one that has provided Giant Freakin Robot with multiple confirmed exclusive scoops that have included the reveal that Bruce Wayne’s parents will be evil in Robert Pattinson’s The Batman, Bruce Campbell will appear for a cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and that Monica Rambeau will be a main character in the upcoming Disney+ series Secret Invasion – Christopher Nolan has had talks with the powers-that-be at Marvel Studios to direct a film. Our source could not say what particular project this could be, but only that there has been some kind of meeting between Nolan and the studio.
Whether or not this is a good idea is a much larger conversation, but it is worth pointing out that this could be a bit of retaliation on the part of Christopher Nolan and Marvel Studios. Nolan has been openly upset with Warner Bros. after it was announced that their entire 2021 theatrical slate would be available on HBO Max the same day as the movies opened in theaters. Many have assumed that this has signaled the end of the director’s working relationship with the studio. With one of the most celebrated directors possibly on the outs with his studio of choice, Disney could potentially be tempting Christopher Nolan with the promise of collaboration and might be offering him a blank check movie in return for putting his name onto their most successful film franchise, the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The other reason this might be some corporate payback is that Warner Bros. did the exact same thing to Disney/Marvel. When James Gunn was fired by Marvel, Warner Bros. quickly scooped him up and gave him total creative control over The Suicide Squad, a sequel/reboot of a DC property. Disney eventually rehired Gunn but the damage might have already been done, especially if The Suicide Squad gets a lot of critical praise and Gunn’s Peacemaker series on HBO Max is a hit. Disney doing the same snatch-and-grab technique with Christopher Nolan could be a bit of retribution for Warner Bros. doing a similar tactic with James Gunn.
We will have to wait and see if anything else has come from these talks between Disney/Marvel and Christopher Nolan, but the fact that they have happened at all shows that the director is out there looking for which studio will fund his extravagant productions. And if any studio has the money to make a Christopher Nolan blockbuster, it’s the Mouse House.
