by: April D. Byrd
The first Black female superhero movie director moment is going to have to be put on hold...for now.
It turns out those rumors of Ava DuVernay directing Marvel’s Black Panther movie were not totally factual—she considered it, but passed.
The Selma director told Essence she did meet with execs about bringing the story of Marvel’s first superhero of color to life, but they had different ideas of how to move forward.
“I guess I'll declare my independence from this rumor on 4th of July weekend and Essence weekend!” DuVernay said on her way to accept a McDonald’s 365 Award during the Essence Festival in New Orleans.
“I'm not signing on to direct Black Panther,” she added. “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.”
The Black Panther movie is currently in the works, with Chadwick Boseman (Get on Up) slated to play the role of T’Challa, the ruler of the fictional nation of Wakanda and the first Black superhero to appear in a mainstream comic book franchise in the 60s.
“I loved meeting Chadwick and writers and all the Marvel execs,” said DuVernay. “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.”
The civil right pilot she recently shot for CBS, tentatively titled For Justice, didn’t get picked up. “We turned it in the week of the Baltimore uprising, and we had an uprising in our piece when we filmed it,” she said. “I think they thought it was a little close to real life. But I had an absolute ball making it.”
DuVernay, is currently filming a love story set against Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.
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1 comment:
DuVernay has been a vocal advocate for diversity and representation in Hollywood, and her decision to pass on Black Panther highlights the importance of creative control and a shared vision in filmmaking. While her involvement with Marvel may not have panned out, her contributions to the film industry and the fight for greater inclusivity continue to be a powerful force.
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