While Marvel Studios won’t be the first to have a female superhero movie made by a female director in the modern era of comic book movies, as that honor belongs toPatty JenkinsforWonder Woman, they do have plans to make that happen in the relatively near future. We already know that Oscar winnerBrie Larsonwill be playing the title role inCaptain Marvel, now, all eyes are on who is going to direct. As expected, Marvel is definitely looking to go with a femaleCaptain Marvel director, and they reportedly have their initial shortlist.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Marvel has narrowed their search to three top choices;Niki Caro,Lesli Linka GlatterandLorene Scafaria. That doesn’t mean that the studio is ready to make an announcement soon, as the report notes sources are claiming Marvel is taking their time, and being very deliberate. According to the report, Marvel will be giving a treatment and documents to the directors, and they will prepare a detailed presentation forCaptain Marvel.
The report also notes that other names very well may surface on this shortlist before a decision is ultimately made. Other names that were considered includedThe BabadookdirectorJennifer Kent, as well asKung Fu Panda 2directorJennifer Yuh. Marvel is clearly leaving no stone unturned in their search for a director forCaptain Marvel.Punisher: War ZonedirectorLexi Alexanderstated on Twitter last month that Marvel had even looked atTank GirldirectorRachel Talalay, who has been largely relegated to directing TV ever since the disaster that wasTank Girl.
The three choices that were named by THR all have very different sensibilities and backgrounds, so it is a bit hard to get a sense of the direction thatKevin Feigeand Co. are looking to go with on theCaptain Marvel movie. The common thread does simply seem to be someone with talent, promise and who is also female.Niki Carois best known for her 2002 Oscar nominated dramaWhale Rider, who also directedJessica Chastainin the upcomingThe Zookeeper’s Wife.Lorene Scafariais a writer/director who got her start writingNick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, and got some indie cred and acclaim for her featureSeeking a Friend for the End of the World. Then there isLesli Linka Glatter, who is primarily a TV director, having directed a ton of episodes ofHomeland, as well as episodes ofThe Newsroom,JustifiedandThe Walking Dead. Far and away,Glatterdoes have the most experience overall.
Nicole Perlman(Guardians of the Galaxy) andMeg LeFauve(Inside Out) are writing the script forCaptain Marvel, but we don’t know much about the story yet.Carol Danvers, a.k.a. Captain Marvel, first debuted in 1968’s “Marvel Super-Heroes” #13. She was a U.S. Air Force security chief who is transformed into Captain Marvel, after an explosion that involved Kree technology. It has been said that Marvel will be changing her backstory for the movie, though, so that will all likely change.Captain Marvelhassuperhuman strengthand the ability to fly, which is sort of the standard set of powers one often associates with a superhero.Captain Marvelis set to debut on Aug 25, 2025. We will be sure to keep you up to date on any new information as it becomes available.
