Director Patty Jenkins says she left Thor: The Dark World because she didn't want to be blamed for the movie failing. As successful as the MCU has become, it's suffered its fair share of hiccups along the way. Over the years, the franchise has seen multiple directors either drop out because of creative differences or step away after finishing their movies and express their frustration with the artistic limitations imposed on them. Among the more infamous examples is The Dark World, which was originally going to be directed by Jenkins before she stepped down and was replaced by Alan Taylor.
In the years since The Dark World opened in 2013, Jenkins has talked about her original vision for the film, describing it as a space opera with shades of Romeo and Juliet. She hasn't gone too deep into her reasons for leaving the film in the past, other than saying she "wasn't the right director" for it. However, in a more recent interview, Jenkins went more in-depth, admitting she was also concerned about what would happen to her career if The Dark World disappointed like she worried it would.
As part of a larger interview with Vanity Fair, Jenkins admitted she didn't believe in the Thor: The Dark World script Marvel wanted to make and worried she would be blamed for its failure if she stayed onboard. You can read her full comment below.
I did not believe that I could make a good movie out of the script that they were planning on doing. I think it would have been a huge deal - it would have looked like it was my fault. It would’ve looked like, ‘Oh my God, this woman directed it and she missed all these things.’ That was the one time in my career where I really felt like, Do this with [another director] and it’s not going to be a big deal. And maybe they’ll understand it and love it more than I do. You can’t do movies you don’t believe in. The only reason to do it would be to prove to people that I could. But it wouldn’t have proved anything if I didn’t succeed. I don’t think that I would have gotten another chance. And so, I’m super grateful.
You can see where Jenkins is coming from. There's a long history of women in particular directing movies that disappoint, only for their careers to permanently tank because of it. Even when they deliver a hit, it doesn't guarantee anything. Jenkins actually knows that from experience; she directed Charlize Theron to an Oscar in 2003's Monster (which was also very profitable, grossing eight times its budget), yet didn't get a shot at making a proper tentpole until nearly a decade later with The Dark World. Fortunately, her instincts were right on the money. The Dark World is generally considered one of the weakest MCU movies to date, and Jenkins went on to helm the extremely successful Wonder Woman and its upcoming sequel, Wonder Woman 1984, instead.
In the end, things worked out for the Thor movies too. Following The Dark World's middling reception, Taika Waititi was brought in to helm the third installment, Thor: Ragnarok, and injected it with a much-needed dose of personality. The film was a big hit with critics and general audiences alike, and Waititi has since been hired to oversee a fourth Thor movie titled Love & Thunder. Said sequel will even bring back Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, after the Oscar-winner stepped away from the MCU in the wake of The Dark World kerfuffle and Jenkins' departure. Suffice it to say, Jenkins' comment about how "You can’t do movies you don’t believe in" are good words for all filmmakers to live by.
Source: Vanity Fair
