Birnin Zana
Honorary Wakandan
Why Can't Marvel Find A Director For 'Black Panther?'
Yesterday rumors started swirling that Creed and Fruitvale Station director Ryan Coogler had passed on helming Marvel’s Black Panther movie. If true, Coogler is the third major African-American director whom the studio has courted for the project — and the third who has turned it down.
Earlier this summer, Selma‘s Ava DuVernay publicly passed on Black Panther. It seemed that she foresaw having similar creative differences with Marvel Studios that Ant-Man‘s original director Edgar Wright did. She explained to the press that Black Panther wouldn’t “be an Ava DuVernay film.”
Then, it was rumored that Marvel sat down with Straight Outta Compton‘s director, F. Gary Gray. Those conversations halted when he chose to sign onto Furious 8. But what’s going on? Why is it so hard for Marvel to lock down a director for one of the most hotly anticipated superhero films in production? After all, whoever directs Black Panther will have the distinct honor of presenting the first major black superhero (in his own movie) to the masses. Shouldn’t that be bait enough?
Yes, and no. Marvel films aren’t successful because of the auteurs behind them; it’s because studio head Kevin Feige and his team have carefully constructed an overarching narrative that runs through all the films. To direct a Marvel film is to bend to the will of the producer. So, for up-and-coming writer-directors like DuVernay and Coogler, it’s not necessarily such a great gig. There might be the opportunity to make a lot of money, but at the cost of sacrificing one’s voice. Again, the Edgar Wright debacle is still fresh in a lot of insiders’ minds and Joss Whedon just about had a meltdown while promoting Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Then there’s the bigger problem: Black Panther is slated for 2018 and still doesn’t have a finished script. Why would a serious director sign on to a film when they have absolutely no blueprint for what Marvel wants it to be? It’s just not practical to sign on to the film this early in the game.
So, who could want to sign on? Despite the fact that Anthony “The Falcon” Mackie recently said that Black Panther doesn’t need a black director —as he put it, “You know, they didn’t get a horse to direct Seabiscuit!”— the buzz is Marvel wants to ensure there’s more racial diversity behind-the-scenes. The good news is that there are dozens upon dozens of talented black directors working in both film and television who could all add something unique to the project. With that in mind, here are five picks that we could see in the mix for Black Panther.
1 Antoine Fuqua
For decades, Antoine Fuqua has distinguished himself as a director who understands the intersection of action and drama. He knows how to stage a fight scene and frame a hero shot. He’d be an almost-too-natural choice to take the reins of a Marvel big budget action flick. The one hiccup? He’s currently tied up working on his adaptation of The Magnificent Seven. Still, that film will be in theaters next year, which means he should be able to film and deliver an incredible Black Panther film by 2018.
2 Gina Prince-Bythewood
Marvel has been criticized for a lack of diversity across the board when it comes to their directors. Patty Jenkins almost directed Thor: The Dark World (much like Ava DuVernay almost directed Black Panther), but they still haven’t found a female voice to shepherd one of their films. We would suggest they look at Gina Prince-Bythewood. Prince-Bythewood is responsible for one of our favorite films of 2014, Beyond the Lights, and has an expert eye for detail and character development. She could bring a different point of view to the Wakandan warrior.
3 Spike Lee
Okay, we know that it’s highly unlikely that such an esteemed auteur like Spike Lee would choose to direct Black Panther when he has the complete and total freedom to pursue his own pet projects. He has nothing to gain from the partnership. They aren’t going to give him a bump in notoriety and there’s next to no way they’d allow one of their flagship films to be labeled “a Spike Lee Joint.” We admit it’s nothing but wishful thinking, but can you just imagine how awesome a Spike Lee Marvel film would be? CAN YOU?!?!?
4 Justin Simien
If there’s one thing we can glean from Marvel’s first three choices for a Black Panther director, it’s that they’re interested in bright young talent. You know, the directors still finding their voice and riding high off of their first few hits. Dear White People writer/director Justin Simien certainly fits into this mold. The only question is: Would he be comfortable directing action? And, like a lot of his peers, would he be cool working within Marvel’s sometimes creatively-stifling system?
5 Paris Barclay
Paris Barclay may not be a household name, but he’s an esteemed member of the Hollywood community. Barclay has won two Emmys (for directing episodes of NYPD Blue) and is the current President of the Directors Guild of America. Now, that post might make it difficult for him to devote energy to a big Marvel project, but he’s found time to work closely with Kurt Sutter on Sons of Anarchy and The b*stard Executioner and to direct episodes of Glee and Manhattan. Barclay is one of the rare directors who is known for being a master of fluidity. He’s done everything from direct music videos to dramedies to musicals to sci-fi fare like Lost. It’s his experience working alongside producers and show runners in television that might make him a great match for Marvel.
Yesterday rumors started swirling that Creed and Fruitvale Station director Ryan Coogler had passed on helming Marvel’s Black Panther movie. If true, Coogler is the third major African-American director whom the studio has courted for the project — and the third who has turned it down.
Earlier this summer, Selma‘s Ava DuVernay publicly passed on Black Panther. It seemed that she foresaw having similar creative differences with Marvel Studios that Ant-Man‘s original director Edgar Wright did. She explained to the press that Black Panther wouldn’t “be an Ava DuVernay film.”
Then, it was rumored that Marvel sat down with Straight Outta Compton‘s director, F. Gary Gray. Those conversations halted when he chose to sign onto Furious 8. But what’s going on? Why is it so hard for Marvel to lock down a director for one of the most hotly anticipated superhero films in production? After all, whoever directs Black Panther will have the distinct honor of presenting the first major black superhero (in his own movie) to the masses. Shouldn’t that be bait enough?
Yes, and no. Marvel films aren’t successful because of the auteurs behind them; it’s because studio head Kevin Feige and his team have carefully constructed an overarching narrative that runs through all the films. To direct a Marvel film is to bend to the will of the producer. So, for up-and-coming writer-directors like DuVernay and Coogler, it’s not necessarily such a great gig. There might be the opportunity to make a lot of money, but at the cost of sacrificing one’s voice. Again, the Edgar Wright debacle is still fresh in a lot of insiders’ minds and Joss Whedon just about had a meltdown while promoting Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Then there’s the bigger problem: Black Panther is slated for 2018 and still doesn’t have a finished script. Why would a serious director sign on to a film when they have absolutely no blueprint for what Marvel wants it to be? It’s just not practical to sign on to the film this early in the game.
So, who could want to sign on? Despite the fact that Anthony “The Falcon” Mackie recently said that Black Panther doesn’t need a black director —as he put it, “You know, they didn’t get a horse to direct Seabiscuit!”— the buzz is Marvel wants to ensure there’s more racial diversity behind-the-scenes. The good news is that there are dozens upon dozens of talented black directors working in both film and television who could all add something unique to the project. With that in mind, here are five picks that we could see in the mix for Black Panther.
1 Antoine Fuqua
For decades, Antoine Fuqua has distinguished himself as a director who understands the intersection of action and drama. He knows how to stage a fight scene and frame a hero shot. He’d be an almost-too-natural choice to take the reins of a Marvel big budget action flick. The one hiccup? He’s currently tied up working on his adaptation of The Magnificent Seven. Still, that film will be in theaters next year, which means he should be able to film and deliver an incredible Black Panther film by 2018.
2 Gina Prince-Bythewood
Marvel has been criticized for a lack of diversity across the board when it comes to their directors. Patty Jenkins almost directed Thor: The Dark World (much like Ava DuVernay almost directed Black Panther), but they still haven’t found a female voice to shepherd one of their films. We would suggest they look at Gina Prince-Bythewood. Prince-Bythewood is responsible for one of our favorite films of 2014, Beyond the Lights, and has an expert eye for detail and character development. She could bring a different point of view to the Wakandan warrior.
3 Spike Lee
Okay, we know that it’s highly unlikely that such an esteemed auteur like Spike Lee would choose to direct Black Panther when he has the complete and total freedom to pursue his own pet projects. He has nothing to gain from the partnership. They aren’t going to give him a bump in notoriety and there’s next to no way they’d allow one of their flagship films to be labeled “a Spike Lee Joint.” We admit it’s nothing but wishful thinking, but can you just imagine how awesome a Spike Lee Marvel film would be? CAN YOU?!?!?
4 Justin Simien
If there’s one thing we can glean from Marvel’s first three choices for a Black Panther director, it’s that they’re interested in bright young talent. You know, the directors still finding their voice and riding high off of their first few hits. Dear White People writer/director Justin Simien certainly fits into this mold. The only question is: Would he be comfortable directing action? And, like a lot of his peers, would he be cool working within Marvel’s sometimes creatively-stifling system?
5 Paris Barclay
Paris Barclay may not be a household name, but he’s an esteemed member of the Hollywood community. Barclay has won two Emmys (for directing episodes of NYPD Blue) and is the current President of the Directors Guild of America. Now, that post might make it difficult for him to devote energy to a big Marvel project, but he’s found time to work closely with Kurt Sutter on Sons of Anarchy and The b*stard Executioner and to direct episodes of Glee and Manhattan. Barclay is one of the rare directors who is known for being a master of fluidity. He’s done everything from direct music videos to dramedies to musicals to sci-fi fare like Lost. It’s his experience working alongside producers and show runners in television that might make him a great match for Marvel.
-ness going on in their pitch.