The Marvels is fast approaching, but while fans might be rushing to see it, it’s sounding worryingly like the movie’s own director, Nia DaCosta, jumped ship from the production as soon as she could.
As per a Variety expose on Marvel’s rocky (to put it mildly) 2023, new light has been shone on The Marvels‘ troubles behind the scenes. For starters, principal photography is reported to have resulted in a “tangled storyline,” necessitating the need for a lengthy four-week period of reshoots. What’s even more concerning, though, is that DaCosta apparently ditched the project before post-production was even complete, in order to begin work on her next movie.
“If you’re directing a $250 million movie, it’s kind of weird for the director to leave with a few months to go,” says a “source familiar with the production.”
The film in question is Hedda, an indie drama starring Marvel’s own Tessa Thompson. Given the overlap between the two films, that only adds fuel to those rumors that Valkyrie could show up to aid Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel and company in The Marvels. On the other hand, the fact that DaCosta exited before helping her big MCU debut across the finish line is a bit of a red flag.
Although, to be fair, it’s likely she was forced into the situation, given that The Marvels clearly required a much longer commitment than she had initially expected, thanks to its substantial reshoots. And with the Candyman reboot filmmaker having to be the film’s main cheerleader, what with its trio of leading ladies being forbidden from promoting it thanks to the strike, nobody can dismiss DaCosta’s passion for her own project.
Even so, her wandering eye when The Marvels was still in need of her attention isn’t the most encouraging thing we’d like to hear just days from its release.
