‘The Marvels’ Director Nia DaCosta Opens Up On Superhero Fatigue And Creating Her Own MCU Story

I know you got to influence a lot of the story—with costumes, locations, etc. Can you talk about that? What were you most proud to see in the final product? 

NDC: Yeah, I remember asking my exec, “Who decides what the costumes look like?” And she was like, “You.” I was like, “Hmm, who decides like, you know, this and that?”

And she’s like, “You.” And I was like, “Okay, cool.” So I just went ham. I really wanted to change Carol’s costume.

I really love what Jamie McElwee did when he redesigned her look. And also, just thinking practically, she’s invulnerable and could literally be naked and not get harmed at all. She doesn’t need to have a bulky suit.

So I wanted to go to a more classic comic book look, which is basically spandex. I was really inspired by Spider-Man’s costume, Black Widow’s, you know, having something that looks close to the skin but also textured. So that was really fun for me. 

What was the most memorable experience from this entire production?

NDC: I mean, on the one hand, I really loved the shoot, overall it was so amazing. I have the best crew ever. They’re just amazing. And being able to explore and be creative and have these really generative conversations and do the fight scenes, which I love, and being able to do them at that scale was so exciting for me.

And then as a nerd, as someone who’s watched the MCU since I was 18 and watched Marvel films since I was like 12, being able to text Kevin Feige with opinions and thoughts is really great. And just to annoy him was one of my favorite parts as well.

Are there any specific characters or storylines that you’re particularly excited for fans to experience when watching the movie?

NDC: Kamala Khan [played by Iman Vellani], I love her so much. I talk about her all the time. I’m really excited to see Ms. Marvel on the big screen because I think that’s where she belongs.

One of the many things I text Kevin Fiege about is a trilogy, like let’s bring her to the movie theaters. I want more and more of her because I think she’s amazing.