Marvel and DC's four major 2020 superhero films to have female directors; details inside

DC Films and Marvel Studio's box-office juggernaut looks like it's all set to continue in 2020 with their upcoming tent-poles. While DCEU will move forward with Birds of Prey and Wonder Woman 1984, the MCU will also move ahead with Black Widow and The Eternals. Incidentally, all four movies are helmed by female directors.

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Marvel and DCEU to release four female-directed films in 2020

In DCEU, Patty Jenkins will once again don the director’s hat for the much-awaited sequel to 2017’s Wonder Woman. Meanwhile, Chinese-American film director Cathy Yan will be directing the Margot Robbie-starrer Birds of Prey. In Marvel, Scarlett Johansson’s much-awaited solo flick will see a female director, Cate Shortland, leading a project for the first time in the highly successful MCU. Set to be released on November 6, 2020, The Eternals will be directed by Chloé Zhao. After the successful trailer debuts of Wonder Woman 1984, Birds of Prey, and Black Widow, we take a brief look at all four female-directed Marvel and DCEU movies that are set to release in 2020.

Birds of Prey

Birds of Prey is scheduled to be released on February 7, 2020, and it will focus upon the DC Comics eponymous team of the same name. Margot Robbie will reprise her role as Harley Quinn from 2016’s Suicide Squad and the film will also feature the live-action theatrical debuts of Huntress, Black Canary, and Black Mask among several other DC characters. Cathy Yan, who previously directed the 2018 comedy-drama Dead Pigs, will direct the upcoming follow-up to Suicide Squad.

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Black Widow

Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow became an instant fan-favourite ever since the character debuted in Iron Man 2 (2010). Eight live-action appearances later, the first-female Avenger will finally dazzle in her own solo adventure on May 1, 2020. Black Widow is intended to be the 24th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and it will be directed by Australian filmmaker Cate Shortland. The movie will also be the first in the MCU to be entirely directed by a female director. Anna Boden previously co-directed Captain Marvel with Ryan Fleck, which grossed over $1.1 billion worldwide.

Wonder Woman 1984

Wonder Woman 1984 is a sequel to 2017’s critical and commercial phenomenon Wonder Woman. The upcoming Patty Jenkins-led film also serves as the ninth instalment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The movie will see the character in her fourth DCEU appearance after Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Wonder Woman, and Justice League. The highly-anticipated sequel is scheduled to be released on June 5, 2020.   

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The Eternals

The Eternals will be directed by Chloé Zhao, who previously directed critically-acclaimed films like Songs My Brothers Taught Me (2015) and The Rider (2017). The upcoming movie is based on a Marvel Comics immortal alien race and it features an ensemble cast. Angelina Jolie, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, and Salma Hayek will play leading roles alongside Richard Madden and Kit Harington from the Game of Thrones fame. The upcoming cosmic adventure is scheduled to soar into theatres on November 6, 2020.

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