It’s by no means a controversial statement to say that Marvel has lost its juice. The MCU was the defining franchise of the 2010s and arguably of the 21st century so far, but its output over the last few years have gone from mediocre to downright bad. The MCU has always set the trends for comic book adaptations, so their growing pains have contributed the most to the idea that “superhero fatigue” is upon us.
The golden age of the MCU saw collaborations with acclaimed directors like Kenneth Branagh, Joss Whedon, Shane Black and Ryan Coogler among countless others, but the collaborations have become increasingly one-sided over the years, to the point that Oscar nominees like Coogler and Oscar winners like Chloe Zhao have struggled to maintain their personal style. With that in mind, here are 10 directors who we don’t want to see anywhere near a Marvel project in the future. We’d prefer they continue to do their own thing elsewhere.
1. Greta Gerwig
Greta Gerwig has become the breakout director of 2023. She was already a respected voice thanks to the success of Lady Bird (2017) and Little Women (2019), but Barbie (2023) has hit popular culture in a way we haven’t seen since before the pandemic. It’s already grossed a billion dollars at the global box office, and critics have praised Gerwig for her ability to balance cultural commentary with mass appeal comedy.
She basically has a blank check to do whatever she wants, and given how idiosyncratic her filmography has been to this point, we hope that she continues to pursue projects (Chronicles of Narnia) that allow her to maintain her idiosyncrasy. Even though other writers on this very same site are pro Gerwig teaming up with Marvel, I ultimately think it would deprive fans of more exciting possibilities down the line.
2. Jeff Nichols
Jeff Nichols is not as famous as some of the other directors on this list, but he churned out one excellent indie drama after another in the 2010s. Take Shelter (2011), Mud (2013) and Midnight Special (2016) have become cult classics, and Loving (2016), his last film to date, earned Ruth Negga an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
Nichols planned to enter the franchise world in 2020, when he signed on to direct the Quiet Place spin-off Day One, but he left the project a year later to focus on an original science fiction film. He’s also slated to release the period drama The Bikeriders, with Tom Hardy and Austin Butler, in December. Frankly, we’re relieved. We need more mid-budget dramas, and guys like Nichols know how to make them.
3. Jordan Peele
Like Gerwig, Jordan Peele is one of the only directors who can make an original blockbuster on the strength of his name. Peele has become synonymous with high-concept horror like Get Out (2017) and Nope (2022), and while he would undoubtedly make a great Blade film (can you imagine!?), we worry that he would have too many creative constraints placed on him to knock it out of the park.
Peele has already confirmed that his next film will be released in Dec. 2024, so even if he were approached to do a Marvel project, we doubt he would accept. It’s for the best. Peele’s lukewarm reboot of The Twilight Zone in 2019 leads us to believe he’s better when he’s telling original stories anyway.
4. David Fincher
There have been lots of directors who have criticized the MCU. Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola are two of the most famous examples, but their elder statesman status means that they would never really be approached by Marvel in the first place. That’s why David Fincher is a much more interesting director to discuss. Fincher is not a screenwriter by trade, and he’s been open to working on franchises in the past: he directed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), which was supposed to be first of a trilogy, and he briefly considered doing a World War Z sequel with his buddy Brad Pitt.
It appears, however, that Fincher draws the line at superheroes. “I don’t want to have to cobble together something around a pre-existing mask or uniform or cape or idea,” he told a SXSW audience in 2019. Besides, Fincher works so infrequently that putting him on a Marvel assignment would seem like a bit of a waste.
5. The Daniels
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, better known as the Daniels, were the breakout directors of 2022. Their last film, Everything Everywhere All At Once, was a genuine hit that took home seven Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Their style, which incorporates quirky humor and extreme set pieces, as well as numerous references to the films of their youth, makes them seem like a suitable choice for Marvel on paper.
The thing is, the Daniels have already revealed that they are going to direct episodes of the Star Wars TV series Skeleton Crew. We don’t want the duo to be saddled with working in the dregs of two of the biggest Disney franchises, so we’d prefer if they wrap up their Star Wars gig, skip the MCU talk and return to making weird, original epics. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
6. James Cameron
James Cameron is a conundrum. He has dedicated the last two decades of his career to blockbuster franchises. He created the Terminator franchise and directed the most beloved installment in the Alien franchise. He also plans to write and produce multiple sequels for Alitta: Battle Angel (2019). The guy is not above taking a pre-existing idea and putting his special touch on it.
That being said, Cameron will never do an MCU film. He has been openly critical of the franchise, citing a lack of change in the main characters. “It doesn’t matter how old the characters are, they all act like they’re in college,” he told Variety. Decidedly, Cameron and Marvel would not be a match made in heaven.
7. Ava DuVernay
Some directors are better suited to mid-budget films. Darren Aronofsky proved it when he went from making acclaimed dramas to the bloated biblical epic Noah (2014). Ava DuVernay hit a similar bump in the road when she adapted A Wrinkle in Time (2018). The film received mixed reviews from critics and went on to become one of the biggest box office bombs of all time.
That said, DuVernay has proven to be an incredibly incisive director when it comes to historical films like Selma (2014) and hard-hitting documentaries like 13th (2016). She was briefly attached to direct New Gods for DC, but things ultimately fell through when the studio decided to revamp their approach. We’d prefer it if DuVernay avoided the superhero thing and continued to churn out works that are more distinctively hers.
8. Ben Affleck
A controversial choice? Maybe. Hear us out, though. Affleck’s career bottomed out when he starred in Daredevil (2003), and it took nearly a decade for him to build his credibility back up. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2015) derailed things once more, leading to a dry spell that was finally broken when Affleck ended his tenure as the Dark Knight and returned to making dramas like Air (2023).
Affleck and superheroes just don’t mix. It never seems to go well when the actor puts on the mask and tights, and frankly, we don’t want to see his career get derailed by another superhero franchise. We’d prefer he didn’t tempt fate a third time.
9. Alex Garland
Alex Garland loves making trippy, psychological films that dabble in horror and science fiction. His directorial debut, Ex Machina (2015) won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects, and his sophomore effort, Annihilation (2018) has become a cult classic among A24 genre fans. He would make a fascinating Doctor Strange or Fantastic Four film if they weren’t hemmed into the continuity of other franchises, and he recognized this disparate approach when asked about Marvel in 2022.
“I don’t get offered Marvel movies, but if I did one it would clearly be a disaster,” Garland told The Telegraph. “And I think people knew that, and kept me at arm’s length.” Based on the polarizing reviews to his last film, Men (2022), we’d be hard-pressed to disagree with him.
10. Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino has always wanted to get into the franchise game. He lobbied to direct a Star Trek film, and he had plans to collaborate with Laurence Fishburne on a Luke Cage film back in the 1990s. Neither came to fruition, and Tarantino has, for the most part, resigned himself to working on completely original stories.
We’re not saying a Tarantino MCU film would not be worth seeing. Quite the contrary: it would be bonkers to see the director’s extremely stylized dialogue (and violence) clash with the MCU template. But given that Tarantino has said that he plans to retire soon, we’d prefer he make period pieces about sleazy critics (supposedly the focus of his next film).