Over two years after the film’s commercial failure, The Marvels’ director Nia DaCosta has opened up her relationship with Marvel Studios. Starring Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani, it received mixed reviews and grossed $206 million worldwide against a budget of around $270 million.
At the time, rumors swirled that DaCosta had a falling out with Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige, something she denies ever happened. “I mean, it’s so funny because [of] the way it was reported,” the Hedda director said in an interview with Inverse. “It seemed very dramatic, but actually I f***ing love Kevin Feige, and we all get along.”
DaCosta departed post-production on The Marvels early due to a scheduling conflict and oversaw its completion remotely, something that many speculated was a factor in why the film was poorly received. Nonetheless, the director has no ill will about how the movie turned out: “At the end of the day, [The Marvels is] a Disney film; It’s a family film.”
Recently, DaCosta reflected on the experience of making The Marvels, noting it was a largely positive experience regardless of the film underperforming at the box office. “It’s so interesting, because the Marvel machine had so much chatter around it,” she said. “But when I look back on it, everyone tried their best. Everyone was trying to make a great film…and I will say I’m really happy to have those relationships.”
“I look back and everyone tried their best and everyone was trying to do the right thing, and it is what it is,” concluded the director. Notably, DaCosta’s positive relationship with the studio led to her visiting the set of Doomsday, which she stated was because “some of her friends were in the movie.”
Captain Marvel glowing and looking serious in The Marvels
DaCosta has also revealed that she became privy to major MCU secrets, such as the return of Chris Evans. “I knew that Captain America was coming back for probably years,” she stated. The director shared her excitement about visiting the set as “a huge X-Men girly” who was “just dying.” The director added that she pressured Feige for spoilers: “I remember asking Kevin, ‘What is going to happen, Kevin? What’s happening?’ It’s emotional [for] my nerd baby girl heart.”
Despite her excitement, DaCosta seemingly denied a return to the MCU after The Marvels was in the cards and instead affirmed her enthusiasm came from a place of fandom: “I’m rooting for them, and I know they’re rooting for me.”
Avengers: Doomsday releases in theaters on December 18, 2026.