Captain Marvel Finds Its Directors

Captain Marvel has found its director, or rather directors, as the duo of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (Mississippi Grind) will be spearheading the cosmic MCU property. It's easy to forget that given how much of Marvel's MCU future is laid out, there's still a good bit we don't know. While the cast and creatives are all locked down for the next two years, 2019's Captain Marvel and Avengers 4 are still shrouded in secrecy. When it comes to the latter, we still don't have a proper name yet. As for the former, the film's well-enough in the future that it isn't too unusual that little is known about it right now.

Still, last year gave us our star in Brie Larson (Kong: Skull Island) and word that writers Meg LeFauve (Inside Out) and Nicole Perlman (Guardians of the Galaxy) would be handling the Captain Marvel script. In the meantime, rumors have swirled as to who will direct the film, with a number of talents from the indie world thrown into contention. We even got word yesterday that Marvel had already locked down a director, thanks to a slip of the tongue by Ant-Man & the Wasp helmer Peyton Reed. Now, it looks like Reed was indeed correct.

UPDATE: Marvel Studios has confirmed that Boden and Fleck will in fact be taking the lead on Captain Marvel. Boden and Fleck are best known for their film Half Nelson, starring Ryan Gosling. They've also gained praise for their 2015 indie flick Mississippi Grind, starring Ryan Reynolds and Ben Mendelsohn (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story). Aside from their film work, they've also directed a number of TV shows, including episodes of Showtime's Billions. Here is the official statement posted by Marvel Studios, regarding the decision:

Carol Danvers has a very nuanced, powerful story, so Marvel took time selecting the final directing duo. But ultimately Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s diverse body of work and ability and focus on character made the choice a winning one. Each of their films exhibit nuanced, fascinating performances and a deeply-felt sense of character, all which will fuel the pairs passion around telling Carol Danvers’ Story.

Kevin Feige talks Captain Marvel director

With their mix of drama and comedy chops, and their experience in TV and movies, Boden and Fleck have the varied background that has yielded positive results for Marvel in the past. The one red flag would be that they don't have much experience with action, but that hasn't stopped most of Marvel's indie directors from delivering in the past. With a keen eye for character and story, the duo are likely to turn out a strong picture and Marvel Studios clearly has faith in them.

In the meantime, fans will be anxious to get their first look at Larson in her proper Captain Marvel costume. Barring that, some concept art would at least be welcomed. Almost a year before his debut in Captain America: Civil War, we saw a mock-up of Black Panther in his full suit, so something similar with Captain Marvel is to be expected. And while the movie is still a ways off from even beginning production, Marvel's recently announced Comic-Con 2017 panel will be the perfect place to give fans an early look at Captain Marvel.