After searching for over half a year and meeting with more than 70 directors in order to find its ideal candidate, Marvel's standalone Black Widow movie has finally found its director, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Cate Shortland, the Australian director responsible for movies like 2004's Somersault and 2012's Lore, has signed on to direct Marvel’s action-adventure romp led by Scarlett Johansson.
According to the report, "A female filmmaker was the priority even as the search stalled at one point and the studio looked at male directors." However, the hunt for a director finally narrowed in June of this year, as the studio landed on three candidates: Amma Asante (A Way of Life, Belle), Maggie Betts (Engram, Novitiate), and the aforementioned winner, Cate Shortland. Two others were also up for consideration: Melanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds, Enemy) and Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don't Cry, The L Word).
With the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the studio has said that it's finally moving forward with the Black Widow movie. Earlier in May, Marvel president Kevin Feige said, "I would say certainly the one creatively and emotionally that we are most committing to doing is Black Widow." He also called the character a "lead Avenger [that] has amazing stories in her own right to tell that we think would be fun to turn into a standalone franchise." Simultaneously, the studio found a screenwriter in Jac Schaeffer (TiMER, The Hustle). Though it's still unconfirmed and unannounced, Marvel's Black Widow is getting closer to becoming a reality.