Ava DuVernay Not Directing ‘Black Panther,’ Cites ‘Different Ideas’ As The Reason

Last month, the Inquisitr reported that Selma director Ava DuVernay was rumored to possibly be the director of Marvel’s cinematic adaptation of Black Panther, the Captain Marvel adaptation, or both. DuVernay had previously worked with the studio as a publicist for 2004’s Spider-Man 2, and she was seeking to direct her first comic book movie with them.

Well, unfortunately, comic book fans can no longer count on Ava DuVernay directing one of those films. During an interview with Essence, DuVernay said she is no longer interested in directing the Black Panther movie.

“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.”

Ava DuVernay did not mention anything about Captain Marvel during the interview, and the film’s profile on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) currently does not have a director attached to it.

Chadwick Boseman is set to star as the film’s lead character, T’Challa, and Andy Serkis is rumored to reprise his role as Ulysses Klaue from The Avengers: Age of Ultron. The plot has yet to fully be revealed, but it is known that T’Challa becomes the leader of the fictional nation of Wakanda, following the death of its king.

While Ava DuVernay enjoyed being with Boseman and the rest of the crew, she realized that the vision she had for Black Panther was different than what the studio was seeking. DuVernay noted it was best for her to leave the project before it officially got underway.

“I loved meeting Chadwick and writers and all the Marvel execs. 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.”

With Ava DuVernay dropping out, that means the Black Panther film is currently without a director. But DuVernay sends her best wishes to everyone involved.

“I love the character of Black Panther, the nation of Wakanda and all that that could be visually. I wish them well and will be first in line to see it.”

The Black Panther adaptation is currently slated for a July 6, 2018 release, according to its IMDb page. Between now and then, Marvel will have a plethora of films for comic book fans to indulge. Some of the studio’s upcoming releases include Ant-Man, which opens on July 17 of this year; Doctor Strange; and sequels to Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor, Captain America, and The Avengers.

Are you disappointed that Ava DuVernay will no longer direct Black Panther?

[Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Women In Film]