Ava Duvernay skyrocketed to fame last year thanks to her film Selma, about civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. The film earned rave reviews and, while many thought it had a great chance at Oscar glory, it only walked away with two nominations and one statue (Best Original Song). While some argued that DuVernay should’ve been nominated for her work as the director of the film, which was nominated for Best Picture, the apparent snub hasn’t stopped her star from being on the rise. 

In the immediate aftermath of Selma, DuVernay was approached by Marvel Studios to direct Black Panther. It seemed like a pretty natural fit, but somehow it just never came to be. DuVernay passed on the Marvel flick, leaving room for Ryan Coogler (Creed) to sit himself down in the vacant director’s chair. Now, a year later, DuVernay has taken a moment to reflect on that decision, as well as comment on the man who would go on to accept Marvel’s offer.

Here’s what she told the Wall Street Journal about Black Panther and Coogler:

“I was interested in the first major feature film starring a black superhero. That was interesting to me. You have to explore all aspects of any directing opportunity and so for me, it wasn’t right for me. It’s perfect for Ryan Coogler. I mean perfect for Ryan Coogler. Great friend of mine. He’s already killing it. Every time I talk to him, I’m just blown away by some of the things they’re talking about.”

Of course, she’s forgetting about the Blade trilogy starring Wesley Snipes, but we’ll let that slide since those films sort of predated the modern superhero boom. 

As for DuVernay, she’s doing just fine without Black Panther. Her series “Queen Sugar” is currently shattering records on Oprah’s OWN network. 

SOURCE: Cinema Blend