The Babadook Director Wants to Bring Manifold into the MCU

In a post-Avengers: Endgame world, it’s as evident as ever the team at Marvel Studios is willing to take the risks on introducing virtually unknown comics characters to live-action films. With the introduction of characters like Jack Kirby’s Eternals and the Master of Kung Fu himself Shang-Chi, a character like Manifold is entirely within the realm of possibility to see on the silver screen. In fact, one up and coming filmmaker has her sights set on introducing the character to the Marvel Cinematic Universe at one point or another.

Jennifer Kent — the director of The Babadook and most recently, The Nightingale — admits to IndieWire that she’d love introducing the Aboriginal Australian character should she ever get her hands on a Marvel property.

“The opportunity has been there if I really wanted to pursue that path and it still probably is to some extent. I am excited by this aboriginal Marvel character, Manifold,” Kent says. “Aboriginal culture is the oldest culture in the earth; it’s so sophisticated and deep. It would interest me to take that out to the planet. There could be some amazing story there.”

And to be frank, the odds of landing an MCU directing gig may land in Kent’s favor. The Nightingale is just Kent’s second feature film in a director’s chair and Kevin Feige and his team have demonstrated going after scrappy indie directors to helm their billion-dollar franchises of late. By the time The Eternals comes out in theaters next November, Chloé Zhao will have a pair of features on her resume while Black Widow is Cate Shortland’s fourth feature.

In the comics, Manifold — real name Eden Fesi — is a mutant with the ability to teleport himself and others thanks to the bending of space and time. Though the character was once name-dropped on ABC’s Agents of SHIELD, it would seem any and all rights issues in respect to mutants would be settled now that The Walt Disney Company owns 20th Century Fox and its assets, including the X-Men catalog of characters.

What other obscure Marvel characters would you hope to see in theaters eventually? Share your thoughts in the comments below or by tweeting me at @AdamBarnhardt to chat all things MCU!

Other upcoming Marvel Studios projects include Black Widow on May 1, 2020, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier in fall 2020, The Eternals on November 6, 2020, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on February 12, 2021, WandaVision in spring 2021, Loki in spring 2021, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on May 7, 2021, What If? In summer 2021, Hawkeye hit Disney+ in fall 2021, and Thor: Love and Thunder on November 5, 2021.