The "Duplass Brothers" recently told Vulture in an interview that they once turned down working with Marvel Studios. Mark Duplass told the reporter, "It would have been a $150-$180-million-dollar budget and about three-years of our lives." It was nothing personal, it was just not the right time for them. Mark said they were flattered by the whole things. "To be a little Sundance filmmaker tapped by Marvel felt incredible. But the amount of stuff we could make over those three-years, the relationships we could forge with younger filmmakers..."
"We'd have to give that all up," Jay remarked.
You would think that all filmmakers dreams would be to work on big studio projects
Jay and Mark founded their production company in 1996 with the release of its first film, "Connect 5." Since then the production company has released over 20 films, two documentaries, three television shows, and three shorts. The brothers have gained a following making independent films, starting with their debut picture "The Puffy Chair" in 2006.
Independent films tend to appeal to a specific audience, whereas Marvel puts out films that appeal to the masses. Would this coupling, if it had happened, worked out for both parties involved? It's likely that at least one side of the coin would have ended up disappointed, perhaps the fan base or the creator.
Still, we will never know what the film would have been, and you can't help but wonder.
You can be sure that this dynamic of cinematic creativity is far from shying away from projects
In 2015, they signed with Netflix to do four films, and it was recently announced that they will be taking another lap around the block with the public's favorite streaming service.
They also recently published a book about the positives and negatives of making it in their industry as a partner deal, titled "Like Brothers." It goes without saying that these two are both very ambitious by creating television shows like "Togetherness," documentaries like "Wild Wild Country," and not to mention their production and film careers.
Mark alone is a director, producer, actor, musician, and screenplay writer, and with Jay by his side the two seem to never run out of work. It's the wide variety of work and the willingness to explore different avenues that make their work both original and brilliant. Maybe someday they will bring that slice of artistry to Marvel, and show us something we have yet to see.
