Here’s a New ‘Captain Marvel’ Rumor, In Case You Were Getting Bored With the Last One

Just a couple of weeks ago, Marvel’s Kevin Feige said that the studio will probably reveal who’s directing and starring in the Captain Marvel solo film sometime this summer, or by fall at the latest. What followed was a particularly interesting scoop suggesting that the director and lead actor being eyed for the project both share the same first name, which kicked off a bunch of hopeful speculation among fans. Today brings a small but interesting piece of info to add some fuel that particular rumor mill.

First, let’s go back a couple of weeks: During a recent episode of Meet the Movie Press, The Wrap’s typically-reliable Jeff Sneider said that Marvel was eyeing a director and star for Captain Marvel, with our only hint being that both women share the same name — and that the actor was someone who had been rumored before.

Emily Blunt has been most frequently rumored for the role, and today ScreenGeek received a tip that Nicole Perlman — who is co-writing Captain Marvel with Meg LeFauve — recently followed indie filmmaker Emily Carmichael on Twitter. Carmichael also posted a photo to Instagram with the caption “on my way to a Disney meeting” — though she replaced that caption with something else shortly after. Looking at Carmichael’s Twitter account, you can also see that she recently watched Captain America: The Winter Soldier, so make of that what you will.

Carmichael is the animator behind the Penny Arcade web series, and her live-action shorts have played at Sundance, SXSW and others. Is it possible that Marvel is looking to give a female indie director the same chance given to numerous men who have made the transition to major blockbusters? It’s possible.

However, there is another popular theory among fans based on that “same first name” clue: Some believe that Kathryn Bigelow is being courted to direct Captain Marvel with Vikings star Katheryn Winnick in the lead role. This one seems a little less likely, as superhero films don’t exactly align with Bigelow’s interests — but stranger things have happened.

At any rate, we should know something more definitive over the next few months, as Feige has made it clear that an official announcement regarding Captain Marvel is forthcoming. Until then, feel free to continue speculating.