Why Ava DuVernay joining Marvel would be a big step forward
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Molly Driscoll Staff writer
As the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) encourages federal and state agencies to look into the lack of female directors working in Hollywood, Marvel Studios is reportedly considering hiring 鈥淪elma鈥� director Ava DuVernay to head up one of their films.
According to the , the ACLU asked the agencies to examine how the hiring for TV networks, movie studios, and talent agencies occurs. 鈥淲omen directors aren鈥檛 working on an even playing field and aren鈥檛 getting a fair opportunity to succeed,鈥� Melissa Goodman, director of the L.G.B.T., Gender and Reproductive Justice Project at the A.C.L.U. of Southern California, told the Times.聽
Kathryn Bigelow is still the only woman to have won the Best Director Oscar, which she received in 2010 for her film 鈥淭he Hurt Locker.鈥�
The ACLU鈥檚 actions come after a year in which women directed 17 of the 250 highest-grossing 2014 movies, according to the website . These included Angelina Jolie鈥檚 movie 鈥淯nbroken鈥�; DuVernay鈥檚 鈥淪elma,鈥� which was nominated for Best Picture; Gillian Robespierre鈥檚 鈥淥bvious Child鈥�; Amma Asante鈥檚 鈥淏elle鈥�; and Laura Poitras鈥檚 鈥淐itizenfour.鈥澛�
However, also according to IndieWire, the percent of women who directed the 250 highest-grossing movies did increase slightly from the previous year 鈥� 2013 saw 6 percent of women directing them, while 2014 had women directing 6.8 percent. It's a very small increase, but an increase nonetheless.
As for DuVernay possibly coming on board at Marvel, a聽woman has never directed a film released by Marvel Studios. (Director Lexi Alexander did head up the movie "Punisher: War Zone," which was released in 2008 and was a Marvel co-production with Lionsgate.) According to , Marvel wants DuVernay to helm either the upcoming Black Panther movie or the one centering on Captain Marvel (who will be female in this iteration, according to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige), and that DuVernay taking on the Black Panther movie is the most likely.
And there is another woman directing a high-profile comic book movie. reports Patty Jenkins of the movie "Monster" is directing Warner Bros.' take on "Wonder Woman," which is expected to be released in 2017.
