Ava DuVernay

If you were hanging around the internet for even a few minutes the other day, then you undoubtedly saw reports that Selma director Ava DuVernay had been officially hired by Marvel to helm Black Panther. Those reports were unsubstantiated and unconfirmed by Marvel — little more than a rumor that was reported without a source to back it up. But at least one related report has now been officially confirmed by Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige himself.

Marvel is definitely not messing around right now. In addition to hiring a pair of talented ladies to script their upcoming Captain Marvel solo film, the studio has their eye on one very awesome woman of color to take on one of their “diverse” upcoming movies: Selma director Ava DuVernay is reportedly being courted by Marvel for either Captain Marvel or Black Panther, and either film could benefit from having DuVernay behind the camera.

It’s been a little disappointing to watch the reception of Ava DuVernay’s ‘Selma’ so far. The outstanding biopic about Martin Luther King has done reasonably well in theaters ($43 million domestically and counting), but it’s been mired in controversy over its depiction of President Lyndon B. Johnson and wound up receiving just two Academy Award nominations (Best Picture and Original Song), leaving DuVernay’s powerful direction and David Oyelowo’s terrific lead performance unfortunately overlooked. I thought ‘Selma’ was one of the best and most powerful films of the year. It deserves better.

David Oyelowo and director Ava DuVernay have proven to be a rather wonderful team, and although both were snubbed at the Oscars for DuVernay’s powerful ‘Selma,’ the pair are already plotting their next reunion: a currently untitled mystery drama set around Hurricane Katrina, which DuVernay will write and direct and Oyelowo will star in and produce.

After the November 17 New York City premiere of ‘Selma’—the new Martin Luther King, Jr. biopic that details his time during the Selma, Alabama civil rights marches—the film’s cinematographer, Bradford Young, speaking to the audience after, made a reference to this film being about today as much as it’s about 1964. While doing so, Bradford, who is an extremely passionate man, evoked images from what we all saw out of Ferguson, Missouri this past August. He then spoke emotionally about his job and his life and his family:

People love watching famous people accept trophies. So, every so often, The Huffington Post’s Chris Rosen and ScreenCrush’s Mike Ryan will speculate about these trophies and which famous person might win one. It will be fun. Let’s talk some trophies! Today, we discuss what could be the new Best Picture frontrunner, Ava DuVernay's Martin Luther King Jr. biopic, ‘Selma.’