Ava DuVernay Praises Ryan Coogler As Perfect Director For Black Panther

With her new series Queen Sugar shattering ratings records for its network OWN, Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay is doing the press rounds and, inevitably, being asked about what might have been if she had taken on Marvel's Black Panther.

DuVernay was rumored to have been Marvel's pick for the job, until the deal fell apart. Later, DuVernay would confirm that she had creative differences with Marvel that led her to exit the project.

Ultimately, though, DuVernay says it seems as though Marvel got the right person for the job.

"I was interested in the first major feature film starring a black superhero. That was interesting to me," DuVernay told WSJ in the video interview seen below, adding that "You have to explore all aspects of a ny directing opportunity and so for me, it wasn't right for me. It's perfect for Ryan Coogler. I mean perfect for Ryan Coogler. Great friend of mine. He's already killing it. Every time I talk to him, I'm just blown away by some of the things they're talking about."

Coogler, best known for his films Fruitvale Station and Creed, seems to be successfully walking the line between the kind of advocacy filmmaking that is DuVernay's signature and the franchise-friendly commercial filmmaking that's all the rage in Hollywood right now.

So while he was making a follow-up to the Rocky franchise in Creed, Coogler told ComicBook.com that he was still conscious of giving the women in the film their own arcs, their own agendas, and their own stories.

"It was very important. It was very important from the outset of the film that these characters not only felt real, but had agency and were complex, you know what I mean?" Coogler said. "I wanted them to be...you don't always like them, you know what I'm saying? Watching the movie, you don't always like what they do or what they have to say to the character."

Black Panther will be directed by Coogler and stars Chadwick Boseman, whose take on the characters was introduced in Captain America: Civil War earlier this year. Lupita Nyong'o and Michael B. Jordan will appear as Nakia and Killmonger, while The Walking Dead star Danai Gurira will play the head of the Dora Milaje, the Black Panther's cadre of bodyguards. Andy Serkis will also reprise his role as Ulysses Klauein the upcoming movie.

Doctor Strange arrives November 4, 2016; Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – May 5, 2017; Spider-Man: Homecoming– July 7, 2017; Thor: Ragnarok – November 3, 2017; Black Panther – February 16, 2018; Avengers: Infinity War – May 4, 2018; Ant-Man and the Wasp – July 6, 2018; Captain Marvel– March 8, 2019; Avengers 4 – May 3, 2019; and as-yet untitled Marvel movies on July 12, 2019, and on May 1, July 10, and November 6 in 2020.