The Avengers may be assembling for Shawn Levy.
Levy, who is busy putting the final touches on Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine, is in contention for the film and may be the studio’s choice to direct the next Avengers film.
The development is characterized as very early. Sources say Marvel and Levy are talking about the project and that the studio gave the latest script to the filmmaker late last week. But sources also say that other filmmakers are in the mix for the high-profile gig.
There is reason for some caution. Marvel previously — and quietly — offered the directing gig to Levy in mid-March, but at that point, the filmmaker turned it down. Scheduling was the concern at the time, as Levy is moving from various duties on Deadpool & Wolverine, which opens July 26, to the last season of Stranger Things. He is due to direct two episodes of the Netflix series, and has other exec producer duties on the show, which would take him into next year.
Originally that timetable didn’t work for Marvel, but sources say the studio has pushed the film by several months, opening the door of opportunity.
The fact that Marvel has re-engaged with Levy shows how eager the studio is to collaborate with him again and how well Deadpool & Wolverine seems to have gone for both the studio and the filmmaker.
Loki creator Michael Waldron wrote the recent drafts of script for the project, which would be the fifth Avengers movie. It was at one point subtitled Kang Dynasty, but that was before Marvel parted ways with actor Jonathan Majors, who was playing the villain. Destin Daniel Cretton previously was going to direct Kang, but departed in November.
Levy is known for directing projects such as Night at the Museum, Real Steel, Free Guy and The Adam Project, with his 21 Laps banner best known for Stranger Things. He is repped by WME and Johnson Shapiro.
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