Head of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige, has been explaining why he chose Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck to direct Captain Marvel. The appointment of Boden and Fleck to helm Marvel's first female-led superhero movie came as a surprise to many, not least because amid all the speculation over who might direct, Boden and Fleck's names hadn't come up at all.

Boden and Fleck have worked together consistently, and are perhaps best-known for their indie flicks, Half Nelson (which earned Ryan Gosling an Oscar nomination), and Mississippi Grind, starring Ryan Reynolds and Ben Mendelsohn. Despite not having much experience with directing an action based movie or TV show, Marvel said in a statement that they felt Boden and Fleck could tell Carol Danvers' story effectively, owing to their "diverse body of work and ability and focus on character."

Speaking to Fandango, Feige elaborated on that original statement, once again emphasizing how important the focus on the character of Carol Danvers is to Captain Marvel:

"We met with lots and lots of people as we always do, and had multiple meetings, and Anna and Ryan just had an amazing way of talking about Carol Danvers and talking about her journey. We want filmmakers that can help us focus on and elevate the character journey so it doesn't get lost amongst the spectacle. And there's going to be a lot of spectacle in the Captain Marvel film.

"We're pretty good at that at Marvel Studios, and have an amazing team that can help with that. But when we're filling a director chair or chairs, we want people who are focused on the emotional journey, the humor, the surprising twists and turns of a singular character journey, which is what Captain Marvel is. They had the best handle on it. And when you look at the work that Ryan and Anna have done in the past, they are all amazing and very diverse character studies and journeys, and that impressed us."

Feige is absolutely right; Boden and Fleck have proven that they are more than capable of delivering great character driven movies, which have a decent mix of comedy and drama. This, coupled with the obvious faith that Marvel have in them, should help to quiet those who voiced objections over the duo's appointment. Indeed, Marvel have improved greatly upon their character focus in recent offerings such as Doctor Strange, and the forthcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. The focus on character is also what has made their Netflix offerings, such as Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, stand out as well.

Captain Marvel will star Brie Larson (Room) as Carol Danvers, an Air Force pilot whose DNA is accidentally fused with that of an alien, resulting in her developing the superpowers of strength, energy project, and flight. The script for the film is being written by Meg LeFauve (Inside Out) and Nicole Perlman (Guardians of the Galaxy). While Captain Marvel won't start filming until 2018, ready for a March 2019 release, it is rumored that Larson will make her debut in the role during Avengers: Infinity War. 

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Source: Fandango