Cate Shortland is set to smash records and become Marvel's first solo female director.
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The Aussie talent, who has directed films Somersault, Lore and Berlin Syndrome, has just been named to direct Marvel's long overdue Black Widow.
Scarlett Johansson is also set to return in her titular role as Natasha Romanoff in the Marvel blockbuster.
Aside from her obvious cinematic prowess, it seems Shortland found an early ally in Johansson.
The star loved Shortland’s 2012 drama Lore so much she personally recommended Shortland be at the helm for Black Widow.
Shortland's obviously come along way from her days growing up in the Weston Creek suburb of Duffy.
In a 2012 interview with Fairfax Media, she cited Canberra's now-closed Electric Shadows cinema as having a "profound" effect on her love of film.
As early as 13, she was an avid viewer of Andy Warhol retrospectives and French New Wave and German expressionist film. And we'd bet Marvel is thanking its stars (literally, Scarlett Johansson) that Shortland saw this fascination through.
Marvel's search for its Black Widow director has been notoriously drawn out, with the Hollywood Reporter revealing Shortland beat more than 70 directors including Emma Asante (Belle), Melanie Laurent (Galveston) and Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don’t Cry).
It's possible it has taken cues from rivals DC, which brought on Patty Jenkins to direct Wonder Woman - the first superhero film directed by a woman and now the highest grossing superhero origin film of all time.
While Australian actors have been prominent in the studio's superhero movies, with Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Shortland will be the first Australian director in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
That canon includes 20 superhero movies that have grossed more than $US17 billion since Iron Man was released in 2008.
Johansson has been playing Romanoff, the Russian spy-turned-Avengers-superhero, since Iron Man 2.
While fans of the character have long pushed for a standalone Black Widow story, it took Wonder Woman to demonstrate the appeal of female-led superhero movies.
With Garry Maddox
