Ava DuVernay is set to join the DC universe by directing New Gods. Warner Bros. continues to pride themselves in being a director friendly studio, and they’ve shown that adhering to the creative vision of one person can take precedence over the larger world. Zack Snyder largely shaped what the DC movie universe has been, and while they’re certainly shifting things now, creatives like Matt Reeves, James Wan, and Patty Jenkins are getting involved to bring more of DC Comics’ lore to life.

One of the hottest names in Hollywood to direct a big budget superhero movie has been Ava DuVernay. After breaking through with Selma, she was sought after by Disney for Star Wars and Black Panther, but now says she’s not drawn to either franchise. She just released a movie with the Mouse House (A Wrinkle In Time), further strengthening her relationship with them and making her an even more fan-favorite choice to join a mega-universe.

DuVernay has done just that, but with Warner Bros. and the DC Universe. Deadline reports Ava DuVernay will direct New Gods for WB next. With her deal closing, they will now look to find a screenwriter to help bring DuVernay’s vision to life. The New Gods were created by Jack Kirby and include such iconic characters like Darkseid and Big Barda – a personal favorite comic book character for DuVernay.

This is a major career move for DuVernay to say the least. She became the first female of color to ever direct a movie with a budget over $100 million thanks to A Wrinkle In Time. Even though that move has seen a mixed reception, it is reassuring to see DuVernay land another high-profile gig such as New Gods. With this set to be her next directorial outing, she will surely make another big-budget movie in order to properly bring Kirby’s creations to life.

As previously touched upon, the inclusion of New Gods in DC’s future at Warner Bros. immediately makes it a huge project for the slate. This Kirby creation spawned some incredible characters and storylines over the years, some of which have already been adapted for the DC universe. In Justice League, the film’s main villain Steppenwolf and his treasured Mother Boxes all came from the New Gods.

While that could be used as a foundation for DuVernay’s movie, that’s assuming it is part of the larger DC universe and not the separate “Elseworlds” banner. On paper, the project would seem to fit better with the DCEU and be a great way to further build that universe, but there’s conflicting reports early on. Deadline‘s report states “there is no connection to the other DC worlds,” but Variety‘s report claims it is part of the larger universe. Hopefully that will be cleared up soon. Once it is, with a screenwriter not even onboard yet, this is a movie that is surely years away from being seen.