Selma director Ava DuVernay has put to rest long-standing rumors that she will direct Marvel’s forthcoming adaptation of Black Panther.
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The filmmaker told Essence she did indeed meet with Marvel Studios, but that she wouldn’t come to terms with Marvel creatively and ultimately passed on the project.
“I’m not signing on to direct Black Panther,” DuVernay said. “I think I’ll just say we had different ideas about what the story would be. Marvel has a certain way of doing things and I think they’re fantastic and a lot of people love what they do. I loved that they reached out to me.”
“I loved meeting Chadwick and writers and all the Marvel execs,” she added. “In the end, it comes down to story and perspective. And we just didn’t see eye to eye. Better for me to realize that now than cite creative differences later.”
That wouldn’t be the first time, of course; after nine years working on the project, last year Ant-Man writer/director Edgar Wright had to pull out of the project when he and Marvel couldn’t find a middle ground on the work.
Ant-Man, now directed by Peyton Reed, will be in theaters next month. Black Panther, which stars Chadwick Boseman but doesn’t yet have a director, will be in theaters in 2017, although the character is expected to debut in Captain America: Civil War next spring. You can see our full release calendar for all of Marvel’s movies (and other comic book movies ,too) here.
