Captain Marvel enlists directorial duo Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck

It seems Marvel have at last decided who will direct ‘Captain Marvel,’ their first female-fronted solo movie – and, as anticipated, their selection is female. Well, half at least.

Variety reports that Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, filmmaking duo behind ‘Half Nelson’ and ‘Mississippi Grind,’ have been picked to take the helm on the superhero movie starring ‘Room’ Oscar-winner Brie Larson (more recently seen in ‘Kong: Skull Island’) in the title role.

Marvel Studios have yet to make a statement on the matter – although Larson has retweeted the news, which is tantamount to making it official.

Marvel are famed for taking chances on lesser-known directors without blockbuster experience. The studio has really taken their time filling the big chair (or, as it turns out, chairs) for this particular film, even though it’s been almost nine months since Larson’s casting as Air Force pilot-turned-cosmically-charged superheroine Carol Danvers was announced at San Diego Comic Con 2016.

Reportedly Marvel executives “met with [Boden and Fleck] numerous times and the pair impressed the studio time and time again with their vision for the heroine.” It is also remarked that the duo’s experience in television was considered a bonus; note the success at Marvel of another directorial duo, Joe and Anthony Russo, who had worked extensively in TV before being hired to direct ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier.’ The Russos have subsequently directed Marvel’s ‘Captain America: Civil War,’ and are taking over from Joss Whedon on ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and its as-yet untitled follow-up.

Other details regarding ‘Captain Marvel’ are thin on the ground at present, although it’s long been known that writers Meg LeFauve (‘Inside Out’) and Nicole Perlman (‘Guardians of the Galaxy’) have collaborated on the screenplay. Descriptions of Larson’s costume have also been reported in recent days, expected to be very close to recent comic book representations of the character.

2006’s ‘Half Nelson,’ which Fleck directed and co-wrote with Boden, landed an Best Actor Oscar nomination for its leading man Ryan Gosling. The duo co-wrote and co-directed 2015’s ‘Mississippi Grind,’ which starred Ben Mendolhson and Ryan Reynolds. While neither film was a massive commercial success, both earned rave reviews (Rotten Tomatoes scores of 90% and 89% respectively).

‘Captain Marvel’ is set to open on 8 March 2019.

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