We’ll begin with the report from The Wrap that says Selma director Ava DuVernay is being courted to direct one of Marvel’s upcoming movies and it stands to reason the obvious contenders would be Black Panther (7/6/18) and Captain Marvel (11/2/18). The site reports insiders suggesting Black Panther is the most likely prospect and that there is mutual interest on the part of both parties, though it seems very hard for me to believe DuVernay would accept a gig where the higher ups exact so much control over production.
To go along with this report, ex-Latino-Review.com scooper El Mayimbe reports (via Twitter) that Rick Famuyiwa, director of the Sundance hit Dope, may also be a contender for the Black Panther gig. His is a name that sounds far more plausible as this seems to be the new blockbuster model — cherry pick an indie director hot off their first big success, bully them around, make millions, move on.
Insiders tell “The Wrap” that Marvel is keen to hire an African-American director for Black Panther and a female filmmaker for Captain Marvel, DuVernay checks both those boxes and would be a very interesting choice.
After seeing Middle of Nowhere and Selma the decision to move to a superhero movie would be an interesting one for DuVernay and I would be very curious to see what she would do with a Marvel property, she’s shown strong dramatic chops, but would she be able to exact her vision under the watchful eye of Marvel’s Kevin Feige, the man that seems to have broken even Joss Whedon?
