Disney and Marvel Studios, in collaboration with Black Widow herself (Scarlett Johansson), are honing in on a director for the upcoming superhero spin off film, and they appear to be favoring a more feminine touch in their search.  This news came late last week, as Deadline reported the top four candidates in competition to helm Black Widow.

The top choice appears to be Australian director Cate Shortland, who is best known for her helming of last year’s The Berlin Syndrome, as well as the film Lore.  She has been the first choice since Marvel first introduced the idea of Black Widow as a standalone film.

Three other directors met with the studio and Johansson, including Amma Asante (who directed Belle), Kimberly Peirce (who directed Boys Don’t Cry), and Maggie Betts (who directed Novitiate). Only time will tell if the director will be Shortland, Peirce, Betts, or Asante, or if Marvel decides to go in a different direction.

Stay tuned for the latest on Black Widow, as we’ll be providing updates on the cast and crew as soon as the news breaks.