'Captain Marvel 2' Goes Higher, Further, Faster With New Writer, Eyeing New Female Director And 2022 Release Date

Captain Marvel 2 is going higher, further, faster, baby — but with a brand new writer and director. The Captain Marvel writing-directing duo Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck are not returning to helm the sequel, which has officially received the green light from Marvel. Instead, the studio has tapped WandaVision series scribe Megan McDonnell as the new Captain Marvel 2 writer, and is currently on the hunt for a female director as the sequel flies closer to its prospective 2022 release date.The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Captain Marvel 2 is officially in the works with a new writer and a new release window. Marvel Studios has tapped rising writer Megan McDonnell, a staff writer on the upcoming Disney+ series WandaVision, to pen the script for the sequel to the Brie Larson-starring superhero film. McDonnell is in final negotiations to land the job, according to THR.

But this means that Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, who co-wrote and co-directed the 2019 hit, won't be returning to helm the sequel. However, they are reportedly in talks to possibly direct a Disney+ series. THR reports that Marvel is currently on the hunt for a female filmmaker for Captain Marvel 2, which will move forward from the 1990s setting to the present day.

WandaVision is the first major credit for McDonnell, who began the series as a staff writer and was promoted to story editor. But perhaps the show's content may indicate why Marvel wants her on board for Captain Marvel 2: The series, which brings back Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany as Wanda Maximoff and Vision, respectively, also features the return of Captain Marvel character Monica Rambeau, but now fully grown up.

In the comics, Rambeau became the second Captain Marvel (actually taking on the mantle before Carol Danvers), before moving on to other superhero aliases like Photon, Pulsar, and Spectrum. Could McDonnell taking the lead on the Captain Marvel 2 script mean that the film will be more Monica Rambeau-focused? That could be the case, though it would be a bold choice for Marvel, considering the popularity of Larson's Carol Danvers as Marvel's first solo female superhero. Captain Marvel raked in over $1.1 billion worldwide and kicked off word-of-mouth buzz that prompted a highly publicized (and slightly disappointing) extended appearance for Larson in Avengers: Endgame.

Marvel is currently eyeing a 2022 release date for Captain Marvel 2.