Carrie Coon Signs More Autographs For Infinity War Role Than Any Other

Having had something of a meteoric rise to fame since her first film role in David Fincher's Gone Girl, Carrie Coon has admitted that she signs more autographs for her role in Avengers: Infinity War than any other. In Infinity War, Coon provided the voice of Proxima Midnight, a fearsome warrior and member of the Black Order. One of Thanos' adopted children, Proxima was dispatched to Earth to recover the Infinity Stones, there she battled Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow and Danai Gurira's Okoye, and almost defeated them before being killed by Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). The character returned briefly in Endgame, brought forward in time as part of Thanos' army, where she was eventually killed once again. Coon recently reprised the role in the second episode of Marvel's What If...? series.

Starting out predominantly in theatre, during which time she won a Tony award for her performance in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Coon had small parts on television before landing the role of Ben Affleck's sister Margo in Gone Girl. She also played Nora Durst in HBO's The Leftovers for three years, and later appeared in the third season of Fargo as Gloria Burgle - a role which earned her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie. She most recently appeared in the psychological drama, The Nest, opposite Jude Law, and she is next set to appear in Ghostbusters: Afterlife later this year.

Speaking to The Independent ahead of The Nest's UK release, Coon claimed that despite her other acclaimed performances elswhere, it is Proxima Midnight that she is often most recognized for, despite being a CGI character. She said: “I sign more autographs for Avengers than I do for all my other projects combined and I was in that movie for 15 minutes." The actress also noted that she believes this speaks to the sort of "mythological storytelling" that superhero films like The Avengers allow for. Read Coon's full statement below:

“Entertainment serves specific purposes. I sign more autographs for Avengers than I do for all my other projects combined and I was in that movie for 15 minutes. That tells me there’s a desire for mythology in a country where there’s maybe a spiritual hole. I think what those movies are doing is providing the equivalent of what the Greek and Roman Gods were doing: it’s a mythological storytelling which is ultimately morally instructive.”

Coon was also asked about Martin Scorsese's comments that superhero films were not real cinema. She responded that there was more to superhero films than good or bad cinema. Read her full comment on that below:

“I think maybe somebody like Scorsese looks at that and thinks it’s reductive. That the good vs evil debate is more nuanced – and I think there’s perhaps more room in a Scorsese film for that level of complication. But that doesn’t take away from the value of something that’s more commercially appealing, and so, there’s a place for all of it.”

It's good to hear that Coon takes the fact she is most often recognized for her time playing Proxima Midnight in good humor. While an incredibly talented actress, it's understandable that this would be case considering the widespread popularity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and that Infinity War is the fifth most successful movie of all time. Even though she only had a small part in the film, it was still significant and her character was certainly a memorable one. She also makes some valid points about the nature of superhero films within the cultural consciousness, ones that are often ignored by detractors who only want to view them as low-art.

Regardless, it's reassuring to hear her speak positively of her experiences of working in the MCU and of the genre as a whole. With Gemma Chan returning to the MCU in a different role in Eternals, despite previously appearing in Captain Marvel, perhaps Coon could potentially return in a larger role in the future that better utilizes her talent. Ideally one that isn't entirely CGI..

More: What If...? Episode 3: 5 Big Questions About The Multiverse Avengers

Source: The Independent