SANTA BARBRARA, Calif.—Adult luminary Kenzie Taylor recently joined director Axel Braun and co-star Aubrey Kate in a live video discussion with University of California Santa Barbara students centering on the trio's multiple AVN Award-winning 2019 blockbuster Captain Marvel XXX: An Axel Braun Parody.
Professor Constance Penley, head of UCSB's Film and Media Studies Department, asked the three to answer questions about the movie, its production, and creating adult cinema. Taylor starred in Captain Marvel XXX as the lead, Carol Danvers, and her scene with Kate took home the 2020 AVN prize for Best Transgender One-on-One Sex Scene.
The May 13 engagement began with Taylor, Kate and Braun interviewed by two students in the class, Christine Mouton and Zixuan Xie, who then turned it over to questions from the students (40 undergrads and five grads).
"I was happy and full of gratitude to be asked to speak at the University of California Santa Barbara," Taylor said. "I met Professor Constance Penley briefly a few years back and was excited she remembered me. Then to be approached for this opportunity was an honor.
"I was told in advance that the students had researched all of our work/achievements," she continued. "Axel put together a non-sex version of Captain Marvel XXX that was screened after all the opening introductions. I had never watched a non-sex version of it before, and I really loved it. I'm still so proud of that, everyone in it, the crew, and for Axel giving me a shot, taking a chance on me for such a huge role!
"We had received such positive reviews/feedback from everyone it was amazing. I'm so glad that I got to be alongside Aubrey (albeit virtual); I know that she was just as thrilled as I was to be there and answer all/any questions the students had for us! I can't wait for more opportunities like this. I love listening and learning new things, hearing new perspectives. Thank you again to Axel Braun, Aubrey Kate, Constance Penley and everyone else in the UCSB film class!"
Offered Kate, "Being a guest speaker alongside Axel Braun and Kenzie Taylor at UCSB was an absolute honor and a truly incredible experience. I was shocked to see how much the students researched my entire body of work and my career. It made me jealous. If porn were my homework, I would have been a much better student!
"In addition to all of the brilliant and inspiring students in the class, being reunited with Kenzie and Axel let us reminisce and re-live all of the memorable experiences we shared while creating Captain Marvel XXX," she added. "It was such an honor to be part of the project, and I can't wait to see what intergalactic battle Axel has me conquer next!"
"It is always a true honor and a privilege to be invited to speak at UCSB," said Braun, who has been a yearly fixture for the past decade at Professor Penley's class. "Having Kenzie and Aubrey with me and being able to screen Captain Marvel XXX with them was an incredible experience. I am very grateful for having had the opportunity to offer our collective perspective on the adult filmmaking process to Prof. Penley's students."
The AVN Hall of Fame director, who was named Wicked Pictures Head of Production last year following the company's acquisition by Gamma Entertainment, is currently shooting Black Widow XXX while in pre-production on The Batman XXX, starring Gamma contract star Seth Gamble in the title role, with Taylor as Harley Quinn.
"Kenzie is gonna blow people away with this," Braun said. "The level of commitment with which she prepares for a role literally borders obsession, and her understanding of the source material is absolute. Also, she is smoking hot and sexy as hell, which really helps when portraying a highly sexual character like Harley, so I'm pretty sure the fans will love her take on it!"
