Marvel Studios President Says Captain Marvel Directors Are Just Right For The Job

04/20/2017 05:14 pm EDT

Marvel took its time when it came to finding a director for the upcoming Captain Marvel film, and during that search, they managed to find two of them who were perfect for the job. The task ended up in the hands of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, who were responsible for films like Half Nelson and Mississippi Grind, both much smaller projects than the anticipated Brie Larson starring Captain Marvel will be.

Marvel Studios Kevin Feige sees that previous experience as one of the key factors in their hiring, and at the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 premiere explained to SlashFilm why they are perfect for the job, and what they bring to the character of Carol Danvers.

"They came in many, many times and impressed us in the room with what they had to say about Carol Danvers. […] They live in New York and they would fly out at a moment's notice to come in and pitch on it, which always means a lot. Anna and Ryan had a strong sense of, not just the plotting and the machinations of the plot, but on Carol's journey, which is the most important thing about the movie."

"We can help out with all the accoutrements of action and sci-fi worlds, but we wanted someone who could really be a guiding hand to Carol and to Brie [Larson] and to that journey, which is what the whole movie is about: someone becoming the most powerful being in the universe" said Feige. "You look at their work and like most of the directors we've hired, [they're] not giant, effects-drive action, but rather very unique and very personal character stories and character journeys. And very diverse, in terms of the subject matter they've chosen to tell and they nail it every time. I think they see Carol as another rich, three-dimensional character to explore, who just happens to be able to fly and punch through moons and to lead intergalactic teams."

Larson is looking forward to exploring those themes as well, as she previously told Collider. "It's not so easy as just saying 'Oh, that's a girl in an action movie; that's a superhero and she's tough and she's just like a dude.' That's too easy. That's not where we're at actually. I think women are far more complicated and more interesting than just saying, 'They're like a dude, and that's what makes them tough and that's what makes them cool.'" Larson reflected. "That's just not how it works, so to me it's this idea of doing this film on this larger scale with really incredible, smart people behind it, with women behind it, that gives you an hour and a half, two hours to sit and see how different a woman can be. That seems cool to me, right?"

Next up for Marvel is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 on May 5, 2017. Spider-Man: Homecoming lands on July 7, 2017, followed by Thor: Ragnarok on November 3, 2017. After that Black Panther debuts on February 16, 2018, while Avengers: Infinity War hits theaters on May 4, 2018. Ant-Man and the Wasp is slated for July 6, 2018, followed by Captain Marvel on March 8, 2019.

MORE CAPTAIN MARVEL: Kevin Feige Reveals Why Marvel Chose The New Directors / Brie Larson Defends Marvel Studios' Female Creators / Film Lands Mississippi Grind Directors / Marvel Unveils First Look At Brie Larson As Captain Marvel