The future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe received an interesting update on Wednesday night, when it was confirmed that Captain Marvel 2 is officially in the works. The sequel, which will place Brie Larson‘s cosmic avenger in the present day, is set to have a new creative team behind the scenes, with WandaVision staff writer Megan McDonnell writing the script. It has been reported that Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, who co-wrote and directed 2019’s Captain Marvel, won’t be returning for the sequel outside of a producers’ credit. Reports have indicated that Marvel Studios is searching for a female filmmaker to ultimately helm the sequel, as it targets a 2022 release date.
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Over the past few years, the idea of a woman directing a MCU film has gone from a novelty to much more commonplace, as both of this year’s films – Black Widow and The Eternals – will be helmed by women. Still, the idea of Marvel specifically searching for a female director is certainly exciting, especially considering the wide array of women who have made their mark on the movie and TV industries. With that in mind, here are ten female directors we’d love to see take on Captain Marvel 2.
Reed Morano
Reed Morano has become a frequent presence on shortlists like these — and for a good reason. After becoming the youngest member of the American Society of Cinematographers, Morano has shifted over to directing with projects Meadowland, I Think We’re Alone Now, and the upcoming The Rhythm Section. On the television side, she won an Emmy for her work on The Handmaid’s Tale, and is directing Amazon’s upcoming adaptation of The Power.
Morano has expressed a desire to do a superhero film before (mainly with DC’s Supergirl movie, which has been talked about as a possibility since 2018), and it would certainly be interesting to see her feminist, emotional approach apply to a film like Captain Marvel 2. Plus, she’s already had meetings with people under the Disney umbrella, leading to speculation that she was going to be involved with a Star Wars project.
Lulu Wang
Lulu Wang quickly became a bit of a household name last year, when her film The Farewell captivated audiences throughout the country. The semi-autobiographical film, which stars Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings‘ Awkwafina, told an incredibly personal story of family and legacy, and quickly became one of the most egregious snubs of this year’s Oscar nominees.
People will be eager to see Wang’s next film regardless of whatever it ends up being, but it would be interesting to see her make her mark on the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Captain Marvel 2.
Olivia Wilde
While most people know Olivia Wilde from her own acting career, her directing skills were showcased in a pretty surprising way last year with Booksmart. The coming-of-age film balanced comedy, heart, and feminism perfectly, while turning the 24 hours before high school graduation into a genuine thrill ride.
Wilde has been vocal about how inspiring it is to see complex, talented women in front of and behind the camera, which would make her taking on Captain Marvel 2 all the more fitting. Plus, it would be an interesting full-circle moment, as she was among the many names suggested to play Carol Danvers before Larson was ultimately cast.
Alma Har’el
Alma Har’el has been prolific in the worlds of music videos and commercials for quite some time now, with work that is often described as dream-like and surreal. Last year, her film work gained a whole new audience with the release of Honey Boy, a multi-generational, heart-wrenching story starring and written by Shia LaBeouf.
While her filmography is much more esoteric compared to the blockbuster nature of the MCU, that would make her taking on the role all the more intriguing. And given how much the first Captain Marvel broke the MCU’s linear storytelling format, it’d be fun to see someone like Har’el get even weirder with it.
Marielle Heller
Marielle Heller has grown to be a must-watch director in recent years, beginning with her 2015 breakout hit The Diary of a Teenage Girl. Since then, she’s directed Oscar-nominated performances from Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant in Can You Ever Forgive Me?, and made us all nostalgic for our childhood with the Mr. Rogers biopic A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.
The subject matter of Heller’s films has varied wildly over the years, and it certainly doesn’t seem out of the cards for a billion-dollar superhero blockbuster to join that filmography.
Dee Rees
Dee Rees has directed some impactful films over the past decade, including Pariah, Bessie, and the Oscar-nominated period piece Mudbound. Later this year, Netflix is set to release her adaptation of Joan Didion’s The Last Thing He Ever Wanted, which is already beginning to get awards buzz ahead of its premiere at Sundance.
It would be interesting to see Rees take on whatever big-budget franchise she wanted, but the thought of her taking on Captain Marvel 2 is especially exciting.
Nicole Kassell
If you’ve kept up with the past year of comic book adaptations, you’ve probably seen Nicole Kassell’s work in some pretty impactful ways. After being put in “movie jail” following the poor performance of her 2011 rom-com A Little Bit of Heaven, Kassell has directed a wide range of TV, including three episodes of HBO’s Watchmen. In addition to executive producing the series and helming its first two installments, she directed the penultimate episode “A God Walks into Abar” — you know, the one where we finally find out about Dr. Manhattan.
Kassell clearly has a knack for blending fight scenes, amazing characters, and unpredictable storylines, and it would be fitting for her to make her big-screen comeback on a project like Captain Marvel 2.
Rachel Talalay
Talalay has been an underrated icon amongst female directors for decades, after helming 90s cult-classics like Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare and Tank Girl. Like Kassell, she has done quite a lot of TV in recent years, including superhero series like Supergirl, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Doom Patrol, and Iron Fist.
Talalay’s experience in the world of comic book adaptations makes her sort of a no-brainer for a modern-day blockbuster, which makes the fact that it hasn’t happened yet all the more bewildering. But hey, something like Captain Marvel 2 would be the perfect candidate.
Karyn Kusama
A little over a decade ago, Jennifer’s Body hit theaters, and became a misunderstood classic for horror fans and queer girls everywhere. At the helm of that feminist horror-comedy was Karyn Kusama, whose work also ranges from the 2005 adaptation of Aeon Flux to the 2018 crime thriller Destroyer.
Kusama has the body of work – and a focus on complex, almost-controversial women – that would make her take on Captain Marvel 2 all the more interesting.
April Mullen
April Mullen might not be a household name, but she’s made a pretty prominent impact on female-led TV and movies. Her filmography ranges from the feminist revenge thriller 88 to the queer love story Below Her Mouth, as well as multiple episodes of Legends of Tomorrow, Wynonna Earp, and Killjoys.
Mullen is certainly no stranger to butt-kicking female characters, and she’s definitely one of those directors who deserves to have a bigger fictional sandbox to play around in. Captain Marvel 2 – or really any female-led movie coming out in the near future – would be a pretty perfect candidate for her.
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Who would you like to see direct Captain Marvel 2? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
Captain Marvel 2 does not currently have a release date. Upcoming Marvel Studios projects include Black Widow on May 1st, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier in Fall of 2020, The Eternals on November 6th, WandaVision in 2020, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on February 12, 2021, Loki in Spring 2021, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on May 7, 2021, Spider-Man 3 on July 16, 2021, What If…? in Summer 2021, Hawkeye in Fall 2021, Thor: Love and Thunder on November 5, 2021, and Black Panther 2 on May 6, 2022.
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Image Credit: Netflix
