Marvel is working to find a director for Black Panther and Captain Marvel. Rumors claim that the company is currently trying to sign-on Ava DuVernay for Black Panther, but may even consider her for Captain Marvel.
The mysterious “insiders” claim that Black Panther is the most likely candidate, which is due to hit theaters in July, 2018.
Why Would DuVernay Be the First Female Director?
Historically, no woman has ever directed a Marvel film in the past. Patty Jenkins was hired to direct Thor: The Dark World, but she was replaced because of the usual “creative differences” by Alan Taylor. Jenkins, on the other hand, went on to direct Wonder Woman for Warner Bros.
Insiders claim that Marvel is planning to hire an African-American director for Black Panther and a female filmmaker for Captain Marvel to diversify their universe. If DuVernay were hired she would be both the first female director and African-American director.
What Other Film Work Has She Done?
Marvel isn’t just considering DuVernay for those reasons alone. She has a proven track record and a good eye for film.
DuVernay’s most recent project Selma, which she directed, was Oscar-nominated for Best Picture and it won a few other awards from critics. She has experience in the comic book world too. One of her most prominent credits is working with Sam Raimi on Spider-Man 2, offering “promotional services.”
She had her directorial debut on a documentary called This Is the Life, in 2008. Later, she worked on I Will Follow, and Middle of Nowhere before finally working on the Martin Luther King Jr. movie Selma for Paramount.
She would be a great choice for either Marvel film. Her creative style and prowess behind the camera are uncontested.
What??? I COMPLETELY disagree with this assessment.
Did you even watch the NAACP Image Awards? Even the NAACP committee couldn’t give DuVernay a directing award – it went to far better seasoned director Antoine Fuqua for the movie “The Equalizer”.
I’m sorry, I don’t have a tremendous amount of respect for DuVernay. I was at first fascinated and wanted to champion her, but even this article sites how she worked on various films doing “promotional work”. That does NOT spell “seasoned” director.
In interview after interview, she has stated she decided she could be a director after shouting orders at people on movie sets. Really?
I can look at a Scorsee film or a Woody Allen film or DePalma or Verhoven film and the film makers’ vision and technique is very apparent.
Spike Lee’s technique is very specific and it is noticeable when he changed cinematographers like in movies such as Clockers and Inside Man.
Tarantino vision and style are crystal clear, as is War Wong Kai.
DuVernay? What is her style? Slow.
I’m sorry, “Selma” was a let down for me. So slow. Martin Luther King’s portrayal put me to sleep!
So even if I don’t have a high opinion of “Selma” why take the risk of giving a high octane, superhero film to a dramatic film maker who’s style has not been defined and who’s previous subject matter moves at a snails pace?
If Marvel is trying to be diverse in their directors and want to put an African American behind the wheel, HELLO, look no further than Antoine Fuqua! Mario Van Peebles! JOHN SINGELTON!!!
Heck, offer to Debbie Allen! She may have only been directing television as of recent but I’d have more faith in her than Ava DuVernay.
Ava just annoys me. Someone who cut her teeth on publicity allowed the narrative behind the movie “Selma” to be all about politics and Hollywood not throwing enough accolades her way. So selfish! Then she keeps saying she made a movie about “our story” from “our perspective” when a white, English screenwriter from London wrote the movie. If she was so adamant on “black only” she should have worked from a script written solely by a black author. Ava is an opportunist! If something goes wrong with Black Panther, she’s the type of artist who will blame somebody else but herself for the failure.
She needs to stay in her lane: directing films that she can ruin and not effect an entire franchise.
I don’t need her to throw my comic book childhood under the bus!
Antoine Fuqua! He’s so hot too he could stand in for The Black Panter! But more importantly, he knows how to direct action movies EFFORTLESSLY!!!