Just recently, Marvel boss Kevin Feige said Phase 4 would have a lot of female directors. Actually, “a heck of a lot” was his exact phrasing. That’s quite a promise to make, considering that the studio’s first movie helmed by a woman (co-helmed, actually), won’t be until Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s Captain Marvel next year, the studio’s 21st film. But the latest update on Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow movie suggests Feige may indeed be sticking to his word.

We’ve known for a while that Marvel has been meeting with multiple female directors for the solo movie, but Deadline has some new intel. The trade reports the studio is moving forward with the project and narrowing down their shortlist of directors. One name high up on their list is Cate Shortland. The Australian director most recently made the 2017 thriller Berlin Syndrome, starring Teresa Palmer and Sense8‘s Max Riemelt, which you can now watch on Netflix, and is also known for 2012’s historical drama Lore.

The trade also reports two other names at the top of Marvel’s shortlist, Novitiate director Maggie Betts and Belle and A United Kingdom director Amma Asante. They, along with Shortland, made the top three of Marvel’s list of 49 directors. Previously, we heard a few other names that had been considered, including The Rider‘s Chloe Zhao, Mustang filmmaker Deniz Gamze Erguven, and Professor Marston and the Wonder Women‘s Angela Robinson. But as of now, Shortland is looking to be the one most likely to join the MCU.

Earlier this year, Marvel hired writer Jac Schaeffer, a Blacklist favorite, to pen the Black Widow solo film, which may finally arrive in 2020. Stay tuned as we learn more once Marvel hopefully seals the deal. In the mean time, Captain Marvel arrives March 8, 2019.

15 Movies You Didn’t Realize Inspired the Marvel Cinematic Universe

 

More From WGBF-FM