Ava DuVernay Turns Down Black Panther

It looks as though ‘Black Panther’ won’t be directed by Ava DuVernay after all… as she reveals that she’s officially out of the running.

During an interview with Essence Magazine, the critically acclaimed ‘Selma’ director revealed that she won’t be taking the helm of Marvel’s ‘Black Panther’.

“I guess I’ll declare my independence from this rumor on 4th of July weekend,” she said. “I’m not signing on to direct Black Panther.”

- Could Marvel’s Ant-Man Get A Prequel?
- Kenneth Branagh Will Not Direct Thor: Ragnarok
- Black Panther’s Civil War Role Revealed

But why has the 42-year-old director decided to sidestep Marvel’s advances? It looks as though it’s all about how Marvel makes their movies…

“I think I’ll just say we had different ideas about what the story would be,” she explained. “Marvel has a certain way of doing things and I think they’re fantastic and a lot of people love what they do. I loved that they reached out to me.”

Of course, speculation is rife when it comes to DuVernay’s decision to pass on the project… and it looks as though Umberto Gonzalez of Heroic Hollywood has a little behind-the-scenes info.

“From what I hear from sourcing, maybe some key execs at Marvel should stop telling folks around town: ‘WE DIRECT THE MOVIES’.”

What does that mean? Well, it looks as though some directors may not be too impressed with Marvel’s hands-on approach when it comes to their movies. And that’s not exactly surprising. After all, Edgar Wright left ‘Ant-Man’ amidst similar rumours… and even Joss Whedon has seemingly felt the iron grip of the studio.

Either way, it looks as though DuVernay was happy to be a part of it all. Even if she won’t be stepping up to direct the movie.

“I loved meeting Chadwick and writers and all the Marvel execs,” said DuVernay. “In the end, it comes down to story and perspective. And we just didn’t see eye to eye. Better for me to realize that now than cite creative differences later.”

Who will eventually direct ‘Black Panther’? For now, we’ll have to wait and see. But one thing’s for certain – it won’t be Ava DuVernay.

‘Black Panther’ heads to cinemas on 6 July 2018.

- Guardians of the Galaxy 2 Title Revealed
- Channing Tatum Learns Card Tricks For Gambit
- Guardians of the Galaxy 2 Will Be More Emotional

Picture Credit: Marvel