Marvel Courting ‘Selma’ Director to Helm Diverse Superhero Movie

Marvel wants Selma director Ava DuVernay to take the reins on one of its upcoming diverse superhero movies, which will include either Black Panther or Captain Marvel, insiders with knowledge of the studio’s plans told TheWrap.

Sources tell the outlet that Black Panther, due out July 2018 and starring Get on Up‘s Chadwick Boseman as the titular superhero, is Marvel’s preferred project for DuVernay. The studio has reportedly already held discussions with the director about taking on an unspecified superhero project.

DuVernay would be the both the first African-American and first woman to direct a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie, which include the popular Iron Man, Captain America and Avengers films.

The character of Black Panther first appeared in a Fantastic Four comic in 1966. The comics follow T’Challa, the chieftain of the Wakanda Panther Clan, who must avenge his royal father’s death. Boseman will make his first appearance as the character in the upcoming Captain America: Civil War.

Meanwhile, Marvel is reportedly looking for a female director for its female superhero-led Captain Marvel film, due out in October 2018. The comics follow a woman named Carol Danvers, who gains superpowers after an encounter with an alien. According to Collider, the studio is considering Angelina Jolie for the director’s chair.

DuVernay, who was memorably snubbed in the Best Director category at this year’s Academy Awards, has reportedly been in high demand since coming off the Best Picture-nominated Selma. The director is working on two television projects, including one for Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network and a CBS civil rights drama called For Justice. DuVernay will also re-team with Selma actor David Oyelowo for an as-yet-untitled Hurricane Katrina project.

The news of Marvel’s courtship of DuVernay comes on the same day that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) demanded a federal inquiry into alleged discriminatory hiring practices by major film studios. The organization says female directors are unfairly and routinely passed over for film projects in favor of their male counterparts.