Why 'Selma's' Ava DuVernay Decided Not to Direct 'Black Panther'
The meetings with "Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman and all the Marvel executives went well, but Ava DuVernay says she ultimately had to turn down an offer to direct the adventures of the first black superhero from a mainstream comic.
“In the end, it comes down to story and perspective," the "Selma" director tells Essence. "And we just didn't see eye to eye. Better for me to realize that now than cite creative differences later.”
DuVernay, recipient of McDonald's 365 Award during the Essence Festival in New Orleans, said on her way to the event that it was merely a rumor that she'd signed on for the project, though acknowledges the process went far before the differences became insurmountable.
“I think I’ll just say we had different ideas about what the story would be," she says. "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.”