Marvel's "Black Panther" has its lead in Chadwick Boseman ("42"), who will make his MCU debut next year in "Captain America: Civil War." But the studio has struggled to find the right director for the standalone film. Ava DuVernay ("Selma") took a hard pass due to creative restrictions as did Ryan Coogler ("Creed"). Though the latter decided not to join Marvel's ranks, he did say that he feels a black director should be the choice.
Coogler, whose directorial debut "Fruitvale Station" explored the shooting death of a black youth, believes that cultural background is an important component to filmmaking and that "Black Panther" should be born from someone with similar life experience. He explained to ScreenRant:
"I think that there is a potential for a greater truth when a filmmaker comes from a particular culture that they're dealing with. That's not to say that a filmmaker can't work outside his or her cultural space. But I do believe that the opportunity for the film to have more nuance will come when you're looking at filmmakers that bring a little bit of that from their personal experience."
Coogler continued by saying that if he were calling the shots at Marvel, then making a movie centered on the "first woman superhero" would start with a woman director because the points of view would be more similar. "Captain Marvel," a female led blockbuster, is scheduled for July 6, 2018.
Marvel has been criticized in the past for their lack of diversity. Every one of the MCU films has been directed by a white male and the majority of the on-screen Avengers are made up of the same. Highlighting different demographics could go a long way in expanding Marvel's attraction.
But, as Coogler even mentions, it's okay for a director to work outside of their "cultural space" if they are talented and bring a unique perspective to the film. Marvel must decide for themselves who is most qualified to bring the African hero to life.
"Black Panther" will hit theaters on Feb. 16, 2018.
