‘Captain Marvel 2’: ‘Candyman’ Director Nia DaCosta to Helm Sequel
Nia DaCosta, the director behind the highly anticipated upcoming “Candyman” sequel, has reportedly been tapped to direct the sequel to the Marvel Cinematic Universe film “Captain Marvel.”
Deadline reported that DaCosta has taken over directing duties from Anne Boden and Ryan Fleck, who co-directed the first “Captain Marvel” film, which released in 2019. Marvel had reportedly been meeting with candidates for the last few months, and per Deadline, DaCosta had the edge in talks for quite some time, and met with Marvel chief Kevin Feige over the weekend.
More from IndieWire
'Helstrom' Teaser: Marvel Brings Satanic Horror and Daddy Issues to Hulu
'Black Widow' Director Says Film 'Hands the Baton' to Florence Pugh: 'Propels New Female Story'
Disney and Marvel representatives did not immediately return requests for comment.
Brie Larson is set to reprise her starring role as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, currently one of the most powerful superheroes in Marvel Cinematic Universe lore. The first film, which grossed over $1 billion, follows Captain Marvel as she settles a war between the villainous Kree and the shape-shifting Skrulls and teams up with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), which inspired Jackson’s character to create the Avengers superhero team. Megan McDonnell, a writer for the upcoming Disney+ Marvel Cinematic Universe show “WandaVision,” penned the script for the “Captain Marvel” sequel.
Though the first “Captain Marvel” film was eagerly awaited and ended up a box-office success, it was not as well-received critically as recent Marvel Cinematic Universe films including “Thor: Ragnarok,” or the last two “Avengers” films. IndieWire’s David Ehrlich was critical of the film in his C- review and cited it as “a massively disappointing introduction to Carol Danvers,” primarily due to its formulaic plot.
Regardless, there’s ample reason to be excited about the sequel, given DaCosta’s pedigree. DaCosta made her feature film debut with “Little Woods” in 2018, a crime thriller that starred Tessa Thompson — who coincidentally portrays Valkyrie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — and centered on a Canada-United States border drug trade.
DaCosta followed that film by directing two episodes of “Top Boy,” a British crime drama currently available on Netflix. DaCosta also directed the aforementioned “Candyman” horror reboot, which she co-wrote with Win Rosenfeld and Jordan Peele (“Get Out,” “Us”). Peele personally selected DaCosta to direct the film, which is slated to premiere on October 16. MGM originally set the film for June 12, but pushed the release due to the pandemic.
Best of IndieWire
Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
