Now that Captain America: Civil War has officially hit theaters the stage has been set for Marvel's Phase 3 to blow us all away in dramatic fashion. One major MCU development that will occur during Phase 3 is the first ever female-centric Marvel film, Captain Marvel, which will be fronted by Brie Larson in 2019. However, the feminine influence won't end with the film's main character and lead actress, as we've just learned that Captain Marvel has cut its shortlist of potential directors down to three very talented female filmmakers.
THR reports that the search for the Captain Marvel director has slowly but surely begun to take shape. Although Marvel has made no definitive deals just yet, it looks like the studio has started to look at Niki Caro, Lesli Linka Glatter, and Lorene Scafaria to helm the upcoming female superhero outing. It's been a long and arduous search, but one that has apparently been characterized by the desire to have a woman behind the camera from day one. This makes sense considering the fact that Captain Marvel is a movie centering on a female superhero, and is written by female screenwriters Nicole Perlman and Meg LeFauve; this time the women are in charge.
It's truly difficult to figure out which of these women would make the best possible option for Marvel. While they all have incredibly distinct filmographies, none of them have ever tackled a major blockbuster like Captain Marvel before -- although experience is no guarantee of quality in the first place. Niki Caro is perhaps best known for her work on the sports drama McFarland, USA, as well as the 2005 drama North Country, while Lorene Scafaria cut her teeth on indie comedies like Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist and Seeking A Friend For the End of the World. By contrast, Lesli Linka Glatter hails more from the world of television, with a prolific resume that includes popular series such as True Blood, The Newsroom, and Homeland. Any of them could make for a perfect fit at this point.
The fact that Marvel Studios seems to be exclusively vetting female directors to helm Captain Marvel shouldn't necessarily surprise any of us. Warner Bros. and DC made a very similar creative decision by putting Patty Jenkins behind the camera on the upcoming Wonder Woman solo movie. That move garnered a ton of great press for DC, and actress Gal Gadot has specifically come out and stated that having Patty Jenkins as the Wonder Woman director has helped set the tone and style of a female-oriented superhero film. It just makes the affair that much more authentic.
Marvel has already made creative decisions like this before. In the case of Black Panther (an adaptation of the first black Marvel superhero) the studio has similarly brought on African-American director Ryan Coogler to bring that particular vision to life. Coogler himself has spoken out about the importance of having a black director on a black superhero movie because of the "potential for greater truth," in the storytelling, and we have a feeling that a similar effect can occur when women lead women in film. In an overpopulated, oversaturated superhero movie market, diversity helps to keep things fresh.
CinemaBlend will keep you up to date with all of the latest and greatest Captain Marvel news as it become available to us. The first female-fronted Marvel movie will blast its way into theaters on March 8, 2019.
