Marvel excutive producer Victoria Alonso has called for more women to join the visual effects industry and has said her company should be planning female superhero movies.
In her keynote speech to the Visual Effects Society Production Summit in Hollywood at the weekend, Marvel’s executive vice president of visual effects and post production said: “You’ve got to get the girls in here, boys. It’s better when it’s 50-50.”
Explaining the reason for the lack of women in the industry, Alsonso said: “This a tough road for women, not because it is a world of men, but because it takes a certain amount of time to be in a supervisory position, and by that time you are having to make a decision about having children or not. Which means you have to take a break. If you take a break, you’re out of the game, and once you’re out of the game, it’s hard to get back in the game.”
Alsonso added: “I have been with you beautiful, handsome, talented, creative men in dark rooms for two decades and I can tell you those rooms are better when there are a few of us in them. So as you take this with you, please remember that it’s OK to allow the ladies in. They’re smart, they’re talented. They bring a balance that you need.”
Variety reports that when asked why Marvel were yet to release or schedule a female superhero movie Alonso said: “If it were up to me, it would be today.”
Marvel are yet to announce any plans for a standalone movie for Scarlett Johansson’s Avenger Black Widow. Johansson starred in Universal’s Luc Besson sci-fi adventure Lucy which has taken over $400m at the worldwide box office since its release this summer.
Meanwhile, DC and Warner Bros have announced a Wonder Woman film for release in 2017. Gal Gadot will star as Wonder Woman in a new slate of superhero movies including Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice directed by Zack Snyder.