Lucy Liu Will Direct The ‘Luke Cage’ Season 2 Premiere Episode

Marvel has hired some great women to helm some of their upcoming projects, and that doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. For example, on Tuesday, it was confirmed that Lucy Liu is directing the Luke Cake Season 2 premiere episode, and she's not the first female director Marvel has given such an opportunity to. There's still a long way to go for women's equality behind the camera, but Liu is keeping the momentum for female directors in the Marvel universe strong.

Last month, behind-the-scenes photos of Liu on the Luke Cage set had fans wondering if she was directing or co-starring in the Netflix show. The news that she's directing the first episode is a huge victory for women in the industry, and Marvel definitely has someone who's perfect for the job. The 48-year-old directed four episodes of CBS' Elementary, and she's had a fair share on-camera action work by starring in films like Kill Bill and Charlie's Angels.

While Liu's new role is a fantastic accomplishment, it should be noted that the number of female directors in the Marvel-verse is still significantly outweighed by male directors, who have helmed the Captain America, Iron Man, Fantastic Four, Deadpool, X-Men, and Spider-Man franchises. But perhaps Marvel is taking note from its competitor DC Comics, given the wild success of Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman.

Change for Marvel isn't on the horizon; it's here. In April, it was announced that Anna Boden will co-direct Captain Marvel alongside Ryan Fleck. Guardians of the Galaxy's Nicole Perlman and Inside Out's Meg LeFauve wrote the script for the standalone film. Captain Marvel, starring Brie Larson, is also the first Marvel tentpole film with a female lead.

In October of last year, it was announced that Netflix's second season of Jessica Jones would be entirely directed by women. The decision came from showrunner Melissa Rosenberg, who said hiring this roster was a conscious decision — one Marvel was on board with. Each episode of Jessica Jones' first season averaged at 4.8 million viewers.

Men have directed women and their stories for years. Joining Boden, Jenkins, and more real-life super heroes, Liu will certainly handle Luke Cage (Mike Colter) and his crew like the champion she is.