With the July 26 release of Deadpool & Wolverine fast approaching, its director Shawn Levy has emerged as the top contender to direct another Marvel Studios project, the next Avengers movie, Deadline exclusively reported.
According to the entertainment website, Levy now has the script written by Michael Waldron. However, sources said that he hasn't given Marvel a definitive answer and the studio still plans to meet with other directors as they wait for his decision.
Has Marvel found a new Avengers director?
Time is a factor for the director. He has quite a few things on his plate, from directing and executive producing Netflix's final season on the hit series Stranger Things to a Star Wars film. However, Levy makes the most sense as the next person Marvel chief Kevin Feige chooses to helm the next iteration of his superhero franchise.
Currently, there are four Avengers blockbusters. Two of them were directed by Joss Whedon, 2012's The Avengers, which earned $1.5 billion at the worldwide box office, and its sequel released in 2015 Avengers: Age of Ultron, which grossed $1.4 billion globally).
The other two were helmed by the Russo brothers, Joe and Anthony: 2018's Avengers Infinity War with its $2.05 billion gross and 2019's Avengers Endgame, which became the highest grossing movie of all time with $2.8 billion at its release. It wasn't until James Cameron rereleased Avatar, which earned $2.9 billion, that it was toppled from its position.
Even though there's no director firmly attached to the project and the script only recently submitted, Marvel has been pulling out all the stops to get this project off the ground so production can begin next year. It's set to be one of the studio's biggest productions yet. Sources said that the planned movie could gather more than 60 Marvel Cinematic Universe characters reprising their roles.
Will Shawn Levy be the future Marvel Messiah?
The names that have been rumored to take part are Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi) and Karen Gillian (Nebula). Unlike the previous four Avengers films where the core group of Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Evans (Captain America), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Hemsworth and Ruffalo had top billing, the characters for the upcoming movie would have equal footing.
This would make it an ensemble feature more than the first four movies, instead of just the core group as main characters.
As with most Marvel properties, the plot details are under wraps. And with Jonathan Majors' exit as the MCU main villain Kang after he was convicted for assault in December, there has been no announcement as to who would replace him in the character or if there would be a completely different villain introduced altogether. The film could potentially have multiple villains.
The planned Avengers movie is a big swing for Marvel since it will heavily impact its other films moving forward. However, if Levy ends up taking the job, the studio can be rest assured of having a director with an enviably solid track record of multiply hits, which the MCU needs.
Aside from the upcoming Marvel Jesus starrer Deadpool, the director's credits include the 2006 and 2009 Night at the Museum movies, 2006's The Pink Panther, 2002's Big Fat Liar, 2010's Date Night, 2011's Real Steel, 2021's Free Guy, 2022's The Adam Project and last year's Steven Knight-created miniseries All The Light We Cannot See.
Having Levy as the next Avengers director would certainly be a boon to Marvel. It would also mean a tonal shift in the way the superhero ensemble would go, judging by his previous projects as well as the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine movie.
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