Marvel Studios is eyeing a female director for Black Widow and may turn to Cate Shortland. After years of keeping Scarlett Johansson in a supporting role, Marvel is finally gearing up for a solo movie. Centered around the spy-turned-S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, the film will reportedly take place prior to Natasha Romanoff's days with the secret organization. The film has continued to make progress ever since Marvel hired Jac Schaeffer to write the script.

There hasn't been any official word on Black Widow in the time since, but it's no secret Marvel has their eyes set on hiring a female director. Even though Anna Boden is co-directing Captain Marvel with Ryan Fleck, whoever takes the reigns on Black Widow is expected to be the first solo female director for the MCU.

According to a new report from Deadline, one of the names to keep an eye on when it comes to who will direct Black Widow is Cate Shortland. The 49-year-old filmmaker most recently directed films Lore and Berlin Syndrome. There's so far no indication as to when Marvel will make the ultimate decision, but with production possibly kicking off in 2019, the sooner they hire someone, the better.

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