When Greta Gerwig said she would be totally open to directing a superhero or action film, I couldn’t help but feel genuine excitement at the prospect of someone like the writer-director breathing new life into a genre I love so much. Superhero films are all about dizzying fight sequences and often stranger-than-life scenarios, but underneath the exciting, well-choreographed action, they also hold important conversations about notions of justice, good vs. evil, and — my favorite — companionship and loyalty.
The initial reaction to a filmmaker as critically acclaimed as Gerwig wanting to direct studio films of epic proportions might be one of wariness, but the unexpected combination actually holds a lot of potential. There have been plenty of times when a so-called auteur has created magic with a superhero tentpole. Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy, James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable, Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther, or Matt Reeves’ The Batman are all genuinely great films where characters just happen to have superpowers and fight crime.
As someone who clearly loves to have fun and doesn’t take herself too seriously, but who also has a special knack for creating the most sincere of stories, Gerwig might be a better fit for the superhero genre than most realize.
Young Avengers
Now that we’ve met almost all of the Young Avengers individually, it’s only a matter of time before they finally team up. In fact, that event is one of the most anticipated among the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s future plans. Through Lady Bird and Little Women, Gerwig has proven she understands the painful but liberating young adult experience of breaking away from what is familiar and being expected to tread your own path forward — something that defines the Young Avengers. Her take on this massively popular squad of misfits is one I would give anything to watch.
Batwoman
The CW’s Batwoman didn’t attract a lot of attention, but those watching couldn’t help but feel deeply connected to the story. Whether led by Kate Kane or Ryan Wilder, the story felt revitalizing for the queer female demographic thanks to its unapologetic portrayal of love and lust between women in the genre. What’s more, the cast of supporting characters was equally as engaging with Alice’s heartbreaking story, Mary’s character growth, and Sophie’s vulnerability rounding out a female-led powerhouse of a show. If James Gunn’s DC ever decided to bring Kate or Ryan into the fold, Gerwig would have plenty of great material to work with.
Catwoman
Zoë Kravitz’s Selina Kyle is rumored to be getting her own film in connection to Matt Reeves’ successful take on Batman. The 2022 neo-noir-infused superhero outing sets a great precedent for anyone wishing to join its universe in the realistic, dirty, and gritty way it presents the criminal underbelly of Gotham City. Reeves’ Selina Kyle is as mysterious as ever, but for possibly the first time ever in a Batman film, is given her own emotional dramatic arc to work through and a meaty set-up for her stand-alone project. While Gerwig doesn’t usually tap into topics this dark, the ideas of womanhood, fragility, and strength present in her work would bring a whole new level of depth to the character.
Rogue
Rogue is one of the most powerful and interesting characters on the X-Men roster and has scarcely been explored in live-action to this day. Anna Paquin played the character in Fox’s X-Men film series but was ultimately underused. The mutant superhero started out as a villain in the ranks of Mystique’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, but eventually asked the X-Men for help in controlling her dangerous and overwhelming abilities to absorb other people’s life force, powers, and memories through touch. Rogue eventually becomes half of one of Marvel Comics’ most iconic relationships with Gambit. There is a lot of untapped potential in Rogue’s character arc that would nicely fuel a stand-alone film at the hands of Gerwig.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
One of the first films slated to help launch James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DC cinematic universe is Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which takes directly from the 2021 comic of the same name. In it, Kara Zor-El is celebrating her 21st birthday with a trip around space, eventually meeting a girl named Ruthye and helping her hunt down the man who killed her father. Gunn has said his version of the character will be a lot more “f–ked up” than we’re used to seeing with Supergirl in past iterations, particularly Melissa Benoist’s. The writer-director has also said he’s interested in giving total creative freedom to those who choose to help him build this new version of DC — a scenario that would let Gerwig take this story to new heights.
Alias
If Daredevil is getting his own Disney Plus series, it’s only right if Jessica Jones gets her own film (or show, too, if Gerwig is up for it). A different take on the genre, this origin story starts when Jessica decides to give up her life as a superhero and become a private investigator. The Netflix show gave us a high-quality version of the comic, but with Marvel now planning to bring the Defenders into the MCU continuity, Jessica will probably have to be reintroduced. Gerwig wouldn’t just take on any superhero project, and Alias has enough of a twist to make things interesting. It’s more mature, less flashy, and centers on a fascinating protagonist in Jessica.
Squirrel Girl
Doreen Green aka Squirrel Girl is a fan-favorite character and a breath of fresh air in the often overly self-serious superhero world. Her superpower is basically being able to talk to squirrels but she gets up to all kinds of adventures as she grows up from a daring 14-year-old to an energetic college freshman. She’s known as the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl for squaring up with the most dangerous of Marvel villains like Thanos and Dr. Doom and still coming out victorious. The concept might feel a little too silly for Gerwig but, with Barbie, the director proved she can tackle eccentric characters and make them relatable.
Promethea
This fascinating DC title existed outside of the comics’ main continuity until 2018 when Promethea joined the Justice League. It centers on an aspiring poet named Sophie who is studying the mythical figure of Promethea for a school paper and ends up summoning her through a poem she writes, becoming her new vessel. Promethea was a little girl in Alexandria in 411 AD who was transformed by ancient deities into a powerful energy that can be channeled through the power of imagination. Brimming with mythology, symbolism, history, and different belief systems, Promethea is one of those projects that could fall flat in the wrong hands, needing a writer-director like Gerwig to do it justice.
Kitty Pryde
Kitty Pryde/Kate Pryde/Shadowcat has been through a lot in her Marvel Comics run. Initially introduced as a kid sister to the X-Men in the ’80s, with the power to become intangible, Kitty grew into her own and forged a pretty cool path for herself. She eventually left the mutants and joined the Guardians of the Galaxy on their intergalactic exploits, falling in love with Peter Quill, and even becoming a pirate. As a Jewish person, Kitty’s identity helped to highlight the prejudice waged against the mutant race. Like Young Avengers and Squirrel Girl, there’s a coming-of-age aspect to Kitty’s arc that Gerwig would be perfect for.