Emily Blunt, who came to fame through playing Emily Charlton in The Devil Wears Prada, explained why superhero roles don’t appeal to her. The Golden-Globe nominated actress will soon be seen alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the Disney blockbuster Jungle Cruise.
Based on Walt Dinsey’s theme park attraction of the same name, Jaume Collet-Serra’s Jungle Cruise will see “Skipper” Frank Wolff (Johnson) take Dr. Luly Houghton (Blunt) and her brother (Jack Whitehall) on a mission into an exotic jungle. The crew is searching for the Tree of Life, which is believed to possess healing powers. Jungle Cruises' large ensemble cast includes Édgar Ramírez as Aguirre, Jesse Plemons as Prince Joachim, and Paul Giamatti as Nilo.
In a wide-ranging interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Johnson and Blunt revealed how the $200 million-plus Disney project came together. Johnson said he tried to convince Blunt to take on the part by sending her a video pitch. “I wanted to let her know via this video just how important she was to this movie and how I only wanted her in this movie,” stated the WWE star, while adding, “And it was great. And I … I actually never heard again from Emily. Didn’t respond at all. Just ghosted me.” Blunt thought the video was sweet, but she agreed to the part after Collet-Serra asserted that the film would share the same essence as Indiana Jones and Romancing the Stone.
In the same interview, Blunt explained why she isn’t interested in starring in a superhero film. The actress was notably Jon Favreau’s first choice to play the Black Widow in Iron Man 2, but she turned down the part due to scheduling conflicts with Jack Black’s Gulliver's Travels. “I really understand that [superhero movies] are like a religion for a lot of people. They don’t appeal to me in the same way. I don’t have this burning desire to play a superhero,” she said. The A Quiet Place Part 2 star shared similar sentiments on The Howard Stern Show after she was asked if she would be interested in playing Sue in Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four reboot.
Meanwhile, Johnson recently wrapped filming the superhero blockbuster Black Adam, which was also directed by Collet-Serra. The Rock signed on to play the anti-hero almost a decade ago. The character was originally slated to be featured in 2019’s Shazam!, but DC Films decided to give Black Adam his own franchise. The ensemble cast includes Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone, and Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate/Kent Nelson.
Created by Otto Binder and C.C. Beck, Black Adam first appeared in 1945's The Marvel Family #1. The ancient Egyptian anti-hero was one of the main archenemies of Captain Marvel and Shazam. In the comics, Black Adam has superhuman strength as well as the ability to control and emit magical lightning and thunder. The highly-anticipated DC film is expected to premiere next summer.
Jungle Cruise will be released simultaneously in theaters and on Disney Plus with Premier Access on July 30, 2021.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter