The superhero genre is more popular than ever, but women directors are still rarely getting opportunities to direct one.
Now, Variety reportsMarvel Studios president Kevin Feige vowed to change that. During the 10th annual Produced By conference, an attendee asked whether or not the "next 20 Marvel films should be directed by women."
And Feige had just the answer: "I cannot promise that all 20 Marvel movies will have female directors but a heck of a lot of them will."
Out of the seven major superhero films released last year, only one was directed by a woman—Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman. Although the future is looking a bit brighter for women directors. Anna Boden is co-directing Captain Marvel with Ryan Fleck, making it the first Marvel film to have a female director. Ava DuVernay will be in the director's chair for DC's New Godswhile indie filmmaker Cathy Yan is slated to direct the Harley Quinn–led girl gang film that will likely be based on Birds of Prey. Marvel also announced possible plans for a Ms. Marvel film, which may have a female director as well.
Marvel isn't only making headway for including women though. They're also banking on the success of Black Panther.
"We had to make that movie to destroy a myth that black movies don’t succeed around the world," he said. "Unconscious bias is a real thing." And he doesn't seem to be stopping there.
"Diversity is something that’s necessary to be able to continue to tell stories," he said "There were a couple of Black Panther meetings where I looked around the table and no one looked like me. And it was great."
