EXCLUSIVE: As pre-production ramps up on Captain Marvel 2, Brie Larson looks to have found her next co-star she will square off against as sources tell Deadline, Velvet Buzzsaw‘s Zawe Ashton has been set as the villain in the next installment in the Marvel franchise. Nia DaCosta, who directed the anticipated reboot of Candyman, has been tapped as director on the film.
Disney and Marvel Studios had no comment.
Megan McDonnell, a story editor on the Marvel-based series WandaVision, penned the script for the Captain Marvel sequel, with Ms. Marvel star Iman Vellani and Teyonah Parris also on board to star. While the exact character is unknown sources do say Ashton will be the main villain, though as we know with all Marvel films, there is always a chance the another antagonist may remain hidden till the very end of the film.
In the first film, Larson’s Carol Danvers was a human who becomes involved in the war between two alien races, the Kree and shape-shifting Skrulls. Surviving an explosion tied to an alien engine imbued her with incredible power, turning her into Captain Marvel and making her one of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The film was released in March 2019 and grossed $1.13 billion worldwide. Captain Marvel 2 is set to bow on November 11, 2022.
Ashton first broke on to the scene with her role in the TV series Fresh Meat. She was recently seen on Broadway in the revival of Betrayal opposite Tom Hiddleston.
On the film side, she was most recently seen opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in Netflix’s Velvet Buzzsaw. Other credits include Nocturnal Animals and Greta. She is repped by CAA and Untitled Entertainment.