Australian helmer Cate Shortland (Lore, Berlin Syndrome) is reportedly on Marvel’s radar for the standalone Black Widow movie, and so too are a number of prominent female filmmakers.
Deadline has the scoop, revealing that Marvel Studios is still in the process of whittling down its director shortlist for the pic. But one thing’s certain: the chosen candidate will be a woman, which is only fitting given that this particular MCU prequel is all about Natalia “Natasha” Alianovna Romanova, one of the deadliest spies in the business.
Last we reported, the Powers That Be over at Marvel had met with no less than 65 possible candidates for Black Widow, so today’s scoop from Deadline is more of a status update than anything else. Whether Cate Shortland winds up landing the gig is another question entirely, but her indie credentials certainly fit with Marvel’s M.O., given the studio recently rolled the dice on up-and-comers like Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok) and Jon Watts (Spider-Man: Homecoming). No further details were disclosed about the other female candidates on Marvel’s list.
If nothing else, though, this bite-sized update is further proof that a Black Widow movie is happening, and it’ll court Scarlett Johansson back to the MCU soon after the release of Avengers 4.
Plot details are currently few and far between, but Sebastian Stan has been tipped for a supporting role which, if true, opens up the Winter Soldier’s murky backstory. The two characters also shared history in Marvel Comics, so there’s precedent for Black Widow and Bucky Barnes appearing on the big screen together.
As with all Marvel movies scheduled for 2020 and beyond, we’ll no doubt find out more once Avengers 4 stages its big debut next summer.