Marvel already has its Captain Marvel. Now it’s time to wrangle up a director. After introducing Brie Larson as the comic book strong-woman to the Hall H crowd at Comic-Con, head honcho Kevin Feige promised Collider that fans would know who will be helming the feature by the end of the summer. Now word of a shortlist has arrived, featuring filmmakers behind Whale Rider, Homeland, and The Meddler.

According to THR, Niki Caro, Lesli Linka Glatter, and Lorene Scafaria are being considered to helm Captain Marvel, a shortlist that at one time is said to have included Jennifer Kent (The Babadook) and Jennifer Yuh (Kung Fu Panda 2). Variety reporter Justin Kroll confirmed the validity of these names, tweeting “the list looks legit,” but added that we shouldn’t expect a speedy announcement from Marvel.


 

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Image via Getty

The report also notes that the next step will be presenting these filmmakers with a treatment for the film, penned by Nicole Perlman (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Meg LeFauve (Inside Out). Marvel is apparently determined to hire a woman to helm Captain Marvel, much like how Warner Bros. insisted on doing the same for their headlining superheroine movie, Wonder Woman.

Since the uproar from fans over the lack of diversity in the genre, Marvel has given Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow more to do (even if she never gets a solo movie), introduced Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch to the Avengers, and promoted Evangeline Lilly’s Hope van Dyne to headlining Wasp status. Ant-Man and The Wasp will mark the first time the MCU features a woman in a headlining role before Captain Marvel bows on March 8, 2019.

Captain Marvel will tell of Carol Danvers, an Air Force pilot whose DNA is infused with that of the alien race the Kree, granting her superhuman flight, strength, speed, and energy blasts. It’s expected for Larson to debut as the character in the MCU before her solo film debut.


 

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Image via Universal Pictures
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Image via Marvel