‘Candyman’ Director Nia DaCosta Reportedly Tapped To Helm ‘Captain Marvel’ Sequel
One of the biggest open directing jobs in Hollywood this year appears to have been filled by Marvel Studios/Disney. According to a report by Deadline‘s Justin Kroll, Candyman director Nia DaCosta has been handed the reins for Marvel’s upcoming production of Captain Marvel 2.
Kroll broke the story on Wednesday. Per his report, the studio met with and considered several individuals to take on the highly-anticipated movie. However, DaCosta was apparently the front-runner for some time.
DaCosta first gained notoriety for her feature-length directorial debut film Little Woods, which she also wrote, in 2019. Starring Marvel Cinematic Universe alum Tessa Thompson and Yesterday‘s Lily James, the western/crime thriller chronicled the exploits of two sisters who found themselves embroiled in the illegal trafficking of drugs along the U.S.-Canadian border following the death of their mother.
DaCosta’s work on the film received critical acclaim; Little Woods currently holds a certified fresh score of 96 percent on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
More recently, the 30-year-old Brooklyn, New York native directed Jordan Peele’s yet-to-be-released Candyman, which serves as a direct sequel to the 1992 Bernard Rose-helmed horror flick of the same name. Candyman was originally slated by Universal Pictures for a June 2020 release but was eventually rescheduled for an October premiere amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
As shared previously by The Inquisitr, Thompson spoke earlier this month about the importance of having increased diversity and representation of people of color in the next phase of Marvel Films. DaCosta will be the fourth woman — and the first Black woman — to direct a Marvel Studios production.
The Captain Marvel sequel will once again star Academy Award-winning actress Brie Larson as the titular hero and her alter ego, Carole Danvers. In the first movie, Danvers acquired incredible powers as the result of an explosion caused by an alien super-engine. Over the course of the film, she came to terms with her abilities and rediscovered her identity as a former test pilot in the U.S. Air Force while she was involved in an intergalactic battle between the alien forces of the Kree and Skrulls.
Captain Marvel grossed $1.1 billion in theaters, according to Box Office Mojo, and was the first female-led superhero movie to cross the billion-dollar threshold. Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck co-directed the picture in addition to co-writing the script.
The sequel’s script has been written by Megan McDonnell, who has also served as a story editor on the upcoming Marvel/Disney Plus+ series WandaVision, which will continue the story of fellow Avengers characters Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany).
