M. Night Shyamalan Reveals He's Spoken With Marvel a 'Couple of Times' on Working Together
By Ryan Carroll
As the Marvel Cinematic Universe constantly expands, so too is Marvel Studios constantly tapping Hollywood veterans to tackle their films. While famed stars such as Sylvester Stallone and Angelina Jolie have or will appear on screen, the studio has also reached behind the camera--as evidenced recently, when director M. Night Shyamalan revealed that he has spoken with Marvel about working together.
Shyamalan told Phawker.com (via Complex) said that he had spoken with Marvel Studios “a couple of times” and that “they’re amazing.” He also remarked on his admiration for superhero films on the whole, saying, “I love comic books and what they mean to us narratively, mythically, and how we wish we could wake up something amazing in us.”
Though Shyamalan did not speak on any specific Marvel property, he has produced several films inspired by superhero lore and mythology, including the acclaimed 2000 film Unbreakable and its two tepidly regarded sequels, 2017’s Split and 2019’s Glass.
Regarding specific Marvel films, the director professed admiration for the original Iron Man, directed by Jon Favreau. “I remember meeting [Favreau] at a party once and I told him, you know, I went over to him specifically, I just said, 'I thought you did something really, really deft, this grounded humor and the way Robert [Downey Jr.] really brought this flavor,’” Shyamalan said. "Of course, that became the Marvel brand, that type of humor. But at that time when I saw it, I was super taken because it was really super grounded. Even to this day, I still find it the most grounded of the MCU."
While we’re not sure when we’ll see Shyamalan take on a Marvel film, our minds are abuzz at the possibility of it--and until more news emerges, we’ll spend our time contemplating.