Even Kevin Feige Thought The Marvels’ Director Was Being ‘Too Much of a Nerd’

Apparently, you can be too much of a nerd on the set on an MCU movie.

Entertainment Weekly dropped a new set of images and an interview with stars Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani and director Nia DaCosta. While Ms. Marvel star Vellani is known to be a huge comics nerd, she’s not alone, with DaCosta revealing that her biggest hurdle was being a little too attached to the source material.

“The biggest challenge was finding the balance between my point of view as a director and as a comic book nerd,” she told the outlet. “Obviously, there are changes between the comics and the movies, and sometimes I’m like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa!’ Sometimes Kevin [Feige] would be like, ‘You’re being too much of a nerd. Please stop.’ “

“The biggest challenge was finding the balance between my point of view as a director and as a comic book nerd.

DaCosta, who broke out with the 2018 indie Little Woods and directed 2021’s Candyman reboot, added that she relates a lot to Ms. Marvel who, like the actress who plays her, is famously a fangirl.

“I’m a big nerd from New York City, and here was this hero who was a big nerd from Jersey City, writing fan fiction the way I used to when I was that age,” she said. “It was really fun to feel close to that character in that really specific way, in a way you don’t often feel when it’s Iron Man or Thor. That was so exciting to me, knowing that I could be a part of bringing this character who I’ve loved for a decade to the big screen.”

For her part, Vellani revealed previously that she regularly has text conversations with Marvel Studios chief Feige to debate his choices from a fan’s perspective. Unsurprisingly, that expertise extends to the set of The Marvels too.

“I’ve just learned to trust Iman because she really has her timelines in order,” Larson told EW. “She’s the one that’s always schooling us. I wouldn’t know how old Carol is without her. She really does the math.”

The Marvels hits theaters on Nov. 10.

Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.