Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn spinoff just landed an Asian female director, because sometimes we *can* have nice things

In the age-old debate of Marvel vs. DC Comics, there seems to be a clear winner in every aspect. In TV shows, it’s DC. But in movies, it’s Marvel. However, DC Comics just stepped up their game in the film department and now the comics brand might be giving Marvel a run for their box office money. Because no matter how well Marvel has delivered on its films, there’s been one glaring issue that DC Comics is beginning to do well at: Hiring female filmmakers.

After DC’s success with Patty Jenkins and Wonder Woman, the company just hired yet another female director for the upcoming Harley Quinn spinoff. Cathy Yan has just landed the directing gig for Margot Robbie’s solo film based on the “Birds of Prey” comic, Variety reports. Now this isn’t the Suicide Squad sequel which is already in development but the “female-centric” Harley Quinn standalone movie first reported on back in December. Robbie previously stated that she’s been trying to get the mysterious girl gang project off of the ground for two years. “[Harley] needs her girlfriends,” Robbie said. “She needs other girls around her.”

Yan is a former Wall St. Journal reporter (yes, seriously, this woman can do anything!) and she may only be the second female to direct a DC film, but that’s two more than Marvel can say. And she’s not going to be the last as DC Comics has already hired Ava DuVernay to direct the New Gods film, which is in development right now.

Now obviously this isn’t enough to say that DC Comics has changed the game in equality behind the camera. Hiring three female directors just doesn’t erase the decades of shutting out women from positions of power. But this is definitely a step in the right direction, especially in the comic book genre which is in desperate need of equality and diversity behind the camera.

It’s also important to remember that responsibility for the future of female filmmakers shouldn’t be put squarely on Yan’s shoulders. Yes, Jenkins did an incredible job with Wonder Woman, but even if she hadn’t and the movie flopped, that shouldn’t mean that all future comic book movies should be given to male directors. Men have had all of history to succeed and fail, and now it’s time to let females have those same kinds of opportunities.