Ava DuVernay in talks to direct a Marvel movie

Marvel’s third phase is poised to introduce a series of new characters to the MCU. A couple in particular - Black Panther and Captain Marvel - are set to join the studios’ cinematic canon in between the two chapters of the Avengers sequel Infinity War. And now thanks to a new report from The Wrap one of those properties could be landing Ava DuVernay as its director.

The site’s sources indicate that DuVernay, who helmed last year’s hard-hitting Selma, is most likely in line for the director’s chair on Black Panther. The Wakandan prince is set to make his onscreen debut in Captain America: Civil War, played by Chadwick Boseman, before the character’s solo movie strikes in July 2018.

Captain Marvel traces the story of the alien ability-infused Carol Danvers, which recently landed Guardians Of The Galaxy scribe Nicole Perlman and Inside Out’s Meg LeFauvre as screenwriters. The female-led superhero caper is due in November 2018.

Whichever movie DuVernay signs on for will make her the first female director to work in the MCU. Patty Jenkins was initially attached to helm Thor: The Dark World but dropped out early on in development, and recently went on to bat for the other side by signing on for DC’s Wonder Woman solo outing.

For more on the MCU, check out our exhaustive guide to Every Marvel Movie Ever Made, head to our movie channel or subscribe to SFX.

Gem Seddon

Gem Seddon is GamesRadar+'s west coast Entertainment News Reporter, working to keep all of you updated on all of the latest and greatest movies and shows on streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Outside of entertainment journalism, Gem can frequently be found writing about the alternative health and wellness industry, and obsessing over all things Aliens and Terminator on Twitter.