The internet was all a-buzz when it was announced that Ava Duvernay, most notably known for directing “Selma,” would leap into the Marvel Universe with “Black Panther.”
The film maker said that the deal is dead. She and Marvel were unable to reach an agreement creatively.
“I guess I’ll declare my independence from this rumor on 4th of July [and] Essence weekend!” said DuVernay, today from the well attended festival in New Orleans. “I’m not signing on to direct Black Panther. I think I’ll just say we had different ideas about what the story would be. 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.”
The Black Panther, an African super hero, will make his cinematic debut in next year’s guaranteed blockbuster “Captain America: Civil War.” It simply wasn’t meant to be, even though
“I loved meeting Chadwick and writers and all the Marvel execs. 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. I love the character of Black Panther, the nation of Wakanda and all that that could be visually. I wish them well and will be first in line to see it,” she said.
A replacement director has not been announced, but Duvernay said she would know before the end of the summer.
