A Black woman has been tapped to direct the Captain Marvel sequel.
DaCosta follows the lead of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. The duo carried the film to an estimated $426 million in domestic box office receipts, according to Box Office Mojo. Brie Larson, recently seen alongside Michael B. Jordan in Just Mercy, will reprise her role in Captain Marvel II.
Fleck tweeted congratulatory thoughts to his successor. “Cannot wait to see where you take this! Anna and I are thrilled for you and wishing you the very best. Higher Further Faster! #CaptainMarvel2,” he wrote.
Although the budget for this sequel hasn’t been released, it’s common knowledge that Marvel isn’t stingy with its purse for their highly anticipated summer blockbusters. Deadline predicts it will be the “biggest-budgeted tentpole” by a Black woman director. The movie giant granted Ava DuVernay a $115 million budget for her reimagining of a Wrinkle in Time.
Other women who’ve been responsible for comic book movies include Cathy Yan (Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey), Chloe Zhao (The Eternals) and Cate Shortland (Black Widow).
DaCosta’s acclaimed indie, Little Woods, starring Tessa Thompson won the Nora Ephron award for excellence in storytelling by a woman director or writer at 2018’s Tribeca Film Festival. And the Brooklyn-born, Harlem-raised artist stated her storytelling will always feature women are active rather than passive in movies.
Jordan Peele handpicked DaCosta for his retelling of Candyman, which is slated to be released in October.
We’ll have to wait until 2022 to see what DaCosta cooks up for Captain Marvel II.