With 28 movies in the MCU, directors in the franchise have come and go. Although the list of all of them is pretty long, we have to point out that it’s not nearly as inclusive as it should be, considering the great size of the universe and the diverse stories it wishes to tell.
Taking on a Marvel project comes with a big challenge: you have to make sure to connect all the necessary storyline points, and you cannot afford to slip up, given how deeply the audience gets involved in every single detail. Hence why you need the best of the best. Here is our list of the best MCU directors.
8 Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck — Captain Marvel
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck have been working together as a filmmaking duo ever since their university years, when they bonded over the works of Robert Altman. They have directed multiple films together, from the 2006 drama Half Nelson to the 2015 drama Mississipi Grind up until their collaborative work on the 2019 MCU Captain Marvel. Both of them also participated on the script. As we now all know, Captain Marvel was the original Avenger, and they managed to capture the storyline brilliantly with interestingly told, eye-catching action. In addition, they were finally the first ones to use Nick Fury as a protagonist with an actual character arc. Captain Marvel has grossed over $1 billion worldwide. Per Comicbook.com, the duo were in early talks to direct the recently released Ms. Marvel Disney+ series, but that ultimately didn’t work out.
7 James Gunn — Guardians of the Galaxy
Via: Marvel Studios
James Gunn is responsible for directing the beloved Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. He started his career as a screenwriter back in 1990s and later made a name for himself with projects such as the science-fiction comedy Slither in 2006, the DC spectacle The Suicide Squad (2021) and the 2022 TV series Peacemaker. Gunn quickly became a fan favourite for directing both of the volumes in the cherished MCU franchise. He is often quoted to be one of the main reasons why it was such a box office hit, hence why he’s been brought back to direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 despite the backlash he got from Disney over a past controversy. We can expect the third and final part of the franchise on May 5, 2023.
6 Jon Favreau — Iron Man
Marvel Studios
Talk about an all-rounder of a human being: a director, an actor and also a producer of multiple successful projects. As an actor, Jon Favreau has appeared in many hit movies, from the 1993 biographical sports drama Rudy to starring as the beloved character Happy Hogan in the MCU. As a director, he is best known in the MCU fandom for directing all three Iron Man movies, as well as starring in them. As of recent, Favreau has moved to another grand franchise, Star Wars, and is the creator of The Mandalorian series as well as the executive producer of the spin-off series The Book of Boba Fett.
5 Anthony and Joe Russo — Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame
Thanks to their MCU projects, Joe Russo and Anthony Russo are the second most commercially successful directors ever, just after Steven Spielberg. In total, they have directed four movies in the MCU franchise: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019), all of which are closely treasured by the fandom. Aside from the MCU projects, they have worked on series such as Arrested Development, which earned them a Primetime Emmy Award. Even though the Russo brothers get a lot of credit for creating masterpieces such as Infinity War, they also receive a lot of criticism from the audience for ruining important character arcs, such as easily giving Thor back his hammer after Waititi made it a point to show him shine without it.
4 Chloé Zhao — Eternals
Chloé Zhao became the second woman in history to ever win the Academy Award for Best Director for her critically acclaimed masterpiece Nomadland. What’s more, her nominations and awards don’t end there, as she has gathered a lot of them throughout her career for her exquisite work. As for her MCU project, Zhao co-wrote and directed one of the most recent Marvel projects called Eternals. Although the movie received mixed reviews from critics, it still became a box office hit. The fandom was happy to get something fresh with proper representation for the first time in a MCU movie.
3 Ryan Coogler — Black Panther
As early as 2013, Ryan Coogler was already included in TIME’s list of 30 people under 30 who are changing the world. His first feature film a biographical drama Fruitvale Station was released back in 2013, starring Michael B.Jordan, with whom he often collaborates in his projects. One further example being Black Panther itself. Coogler always makes sure to tackle on topics that rightfully tell the story of African-American people.
2 Jon Watts — Spider-Man: Homecoming, Far From Home, No Way Home
Columbia Pictures
Jon Watts is the man to thank for all three Spider-Man movies with Tom Holland in the main role. You can say it was his dream to become the director for Marvel’s Spider-Man as he bombarded them with requests until they finally relented, which took him by surprise. And, as we all know, it was a great decision to hire him as the director, given how each movie delivered great storylines, character arcs, and overall performances in the box office — especially No Way Home. He was also said to direct the upcoming Fantastic Four, but decided to take a break from the superhero genre.
1 Taika Waititi — Thor: Ragnarok, Thor: Love and Thunder
Last, but not least: where to even start with Taika Waititi? This New Zealand filmmaker, actor, and comedian has been awarded with an Academy Award for his black comedy Jojo Rabbit (which he also stars in), as well as a Grammy Award for producing the film’s soundtrack. His movies Boy and Hunt for the Wilderpeople are the top-grossing movies in New Zealand. As for the MCU, Waititi is favored for directing the Thor:Ragnarok movie, which remains one of the fandom’s most beloved out of every MCU movie. He is also the director for the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder movie, releasing later in July 2022. It feels like, after a long time, the fandom doesn’t care about the upcoming cameos or the multiverse, but rather is genuinely excited for what Waititi has in store with his incomparable creativity.
