Black Widow director receives praise from David Harbour

David Harbour has nothing but praise for Black Widow director Cate Shortland.

Despite still having not been officially announced by Marvel Studios, most fans know by now that Black Widow is currently filming under the direction of Cate Shortland. Shortland’s body of work isn’t extensive, but it managed to catch the mega studio’s attention and, according to David Harbour, they tapped the right person for the job.

Harbour, who has an undisclosed role in the film, spoke highly of Shortland to ComicBook.com and named her as one of the best directors he’s worked with. He believes Shortland’s indie sensibilities and attention to character are what make her a unique fit for the Marvel Cinematic Universe:

"“This woman, Cate Shortland, who is directing this movie is one of the best directors I’ve ever worked with. She’s so, so smart, and makes such beautiful indie movies. The fact that you’d put someone like that at the helm of one of these huge action movies — and she pays such attention to the story and such attention to character — speaks volumes.”"

The Stranger Things actor also had praise for the crew behind the project and how they’re handling Natasha Romanoff’s first solo film:

"“The fact that these guys are so good at what they do, and so passionate about what they do, it feels tremendous. I’m very, very happy with the situation, working on it now. It’s on a scale and on a passionate level unlike anything I’ve ever done.”"

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A native of Australia, Shortland began her career making short films starting in the mid-’90s. In 2004, she released her first feature-length film, Somersault,  which opened to positive reviews. Since then she’s directed three other films: The Silence, Lore and Berlin Syndrome.

Shortland’s hiring continues Marvel Studios’ trend of bringing in indie directors to helm their big-budget films. James Gunn was known for having niche films before signing on to direct Guardians of the Galaxy, while Jon Watts only had two films under his belt before signing on for Spider-Man: Homecoming. And this seems to be a trend that will continue, as Marvel has tapped The Rider’s Chloé Zhao for The Eternals and Short Term 12’s Destin Daniel Cretton for Shang-Chi.

Based on Harbour’s comments, Shortland seems to be putting most of her focus on the characters and the story being told. Natasha Romanoff is one of the most complex characters in the MCU and deserves a movie that’s just as interesting. Hopefully, Shortland will be able to deliver something audiences will enjoy.