Top 10 Directors For Marvel’s ‘The Fantastic Four’ Movie

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige is on the hunt for a filmmaker who can tackle The Fantastic Four with as little studio oversight as possible, similar to the process with director Sam Raimi on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. That film’s comparatively easier production convinced Feige of the need to approach big-name filmmakers for what will be one of Marvel’s biggest new properties going forward. With that in mind, here are the top 10 directors for Marvel’s The Fantastic Four movie.

Warning: There are some spoilers mentioned for certain recent Marvel Studios releases, so if you haven’t caught up on your MCU viewing and want to remain “unspoiled,” then just skip any paragraphs that start with a spoiler warning.

To start, let me note several names that are most commonly mentioned by fans and the press but who aren’t on my list, and explain why I either think they won’t take the job, or would prefer to see them work on certain other projects instead.

This is not merely to check off the names I didn’t include on my list but which you might’ve expected to see. It’s also to make the point that some of them seem to be obviously unlikely to accept the job, even if Marvel has them on the wish-list (just because it never hurts to ask), so nobody should get their hopes up about those names.

But most importantly, I want to use this as a way to highlight the point that my own list is fairly diverse and demonstrates how there are so many other fantastic artists — even directors who are otherwise well-known and make plenty of films — who get overlooked because these discussions tend to repeat the same white men’s every time.

Some big names that come to mind as the sort Marvel might boldly approach are also the most unlikely to sign on. Steven Spielberg and James Cameron are two examples who are often mentioned by fans and the press as wish-list filmmakers for The Fantastic Four. Spielberg has long been one of my own dream picks for either a Fantastic Four or Superman film, but he doesn’t seem to be at the point in his career where he’s looking to join the Marvel ship, and he’s been open about his general displeasure with superhero cinema.

Cameron seems interested in focusing on his original concepts and the Avatar franchise — which I expect will spawn a Disney+ streaming series as well — so I doubt he’d have time or inclination to helm a major Marvel franchise soon. And as much as we’d all love to see him tackle a superhero franchise, I’d frankly be more interested in his original film projects. That said, if he were ever going to be potentially interested in another superhero movie project besides Spider-Man, I bet it’d be Fantastic Four.

[This paragraph contains spoilers, proceed at your own risk!] One of the more popular names suggested by fans and recently gaining steam due to some real-world developments is John Krasinski. No doubt, he’d would be a great get. It’s hard to imagine Krasinski sitting in the director’s chair without also assuming the lead role, and I bet Marvel would want him doing double-duty. However, I’m not sure he’d want to commit to it long-term, as opposed to a supporting one-time appearance in the recent Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Signing up could be a decade-long commitment, and I’m not convinced Krasinski wants that. [Spoilers over!]

Brad Bird has been constantly recommended for as long as we’ve been having this conversation, and I’m sure he could do an excellent job. But here’s my fear: I don’t want a replay of The Incredibles, and it feels like Bird would wind up either forced to chase his own past work, to please one set of the audience; or forced to take a radically different track just for the sake of difference, to please another set of the audience, and thus undermine the very reasons he’s been such a popular choice in the first place. So I’m inclined to think we’ve already seen Brad Bird’s version of the Fantastic Four, and it was wonderful and unique, and there’s no need in competing against himself on this.

Peyton Reed actually had a specific idea for making a Fantastic Four movie, and it was a pretty cool concept. But that was before he joined the Marvel family as director of the Ant-Man series, and I think if either Reed or Marvel wanted to go that route now, they’d have probably given us some hint of it by now. So while I love Reed’s work and would’ve been thrilled to see him tackle The Fantastic Four — either with his original concept or a new approach — I doubt it’s in the cards anymore.

Joseph Kosinski, whose most recent release Top Gun: Maverick is already one of the year’s biggest blockbuster hits after just two weekends in theaters, is probably on Marvel’s radar now, and he’s a terrific director whose films Tron: Legacy and Oblivion (along with Top Gun: Maverick) demonstrate his strong potential with a Fantastic Four series. However, Kosinski will probably have his pick of next projects, and he’s had a couple of projects on his to-do list that I’d frankly much rather see him focus on.

Adam Wingard’s Godzilla vs. Kong has a lot of wild sci-fi tech and pseudo-scientific ideas built around the giant monsters rampaging across the world. While that would normally be enough to put him on the list, he’s announced to direct the sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong and I’d much rather see him do that. I doubt the timing would work for both, since Marvel will surely needs The Fantastic Four’s filmmaker at work sooner than Wingard would be available if he sticks with Warner’s Monsterverse.

Other names mentioned by fans and the press, and/or likely being mentioned at Marvel, include Quentin Tarantino (think Kill Bill as his would-be Elektra “sample”), J.J. Abrams (his Star Trek films are great “samples” for this competition), Ridley Scott (think The Martian), the Russo Brothers (think… well, everything they’ve done for Marvel, especially Avengers: Endgame), James Gunn (all of his Marvel and DC projects are proof he’s up to the task), Christopher McQuarrie (his Mission: Impossible films have amazing action & sci-fi gadgetry in service of a strong “family” narrative), and Jon Favreau (he helped start the MCU, oversaw next-level CGI for Disney, and created/developed/directed series in the expanded Star Wars universe).

There are various things (or combos of things) that probably preclude each of those filmmakers from signing on to one of the biggest superhero team properties in cinema: other projects/franchises/interests right now (Favreau with Star Wars, for example); relationships with other studios/producers that would complicate taking on a big Marvel franchise (such as McQuarrie or Abrams); where they’re at now in their careers (Tarantino for example talks of retiring soon); and/or having already made so many films for Marvel that they seem interested in pursuing other projects in the near-future (Gunn and the Russos come to mind).

If, however, Marvel does wind up hiring one of the filmmakers I mentioned above, my guess would be either J.J. Abrams or John Krasinski. In particular, Abrams seemed to have too many other projects with other studios to have room for The Fantastic Four, but I think that situation is changing and he’s “unlikely” today than he was yesterday.

Finally, a quick word about a two names I left off my list for specific reasons.

My list doesn’t include the Wachowski Sisters because if they’re going to helm a Marvel franchise, then I’d love to see them make X-Men movies. And since I’m sure I’ll be making a top-10 directors list for that franchise, I’d rather not keep repeating the same names on these lists (I’ve previously suggested the Wachowskis for other superhero franchises, including Green Lantern Corps, for example). Otherwise, I can imagine some pretty wildly imaginative Fantastic Four stories from them on the big screen.

Now, without further ado, here in no particular order is my top 10 list of directors to make Marvel’s The Fantastic Four!

Deborah Chow — Her amazing work on The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan Kenobi delivers cinematic stories with strong emotional cores and thrilling sci-fi action. Chow deserves a Star Wars film project, but I’m keen to see her work on The Fantastic Four.

Ava DuVernay — A visionary who could elevate The Fantastic Four and its sequels toward the sort of cutting-edge approach the comics always sought to portray, she would bring precisely the sort of relevance and singular artistic voice Feige needs.

Taika Waititi — One of the most obvious names on my list and one who’ll rise higher on Marvel’s own short-list once Thor: Love and Thunder opens to inevitably massive crowds. Need I even explain why he’s on a Fantastic Four list? Nope, you get it.

Ryan Coogler — Coogler’s brilliant work includes Black Panther, the only Marvel film nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, and the only MCU film to win Oscars (Best Costume Design, Best Original Score, and Best Production Design). ‘Nuff said!

Patty Jenkins — With Warner’s future DCEU plans up in the air, Jenkins’ next Wonder Woman sequel might not move forward soon. In which case, she should bring her masterful dramatic and action sensibilities to a Fantastic Four franchise.

Chloé Zhao — Maybe a controversial choice in light of reactions to Eternals, but Zhao’s balance and tension between cosmic scale versus grounded relationship-driven narrative is at the heart of what a filmmaker needs to bring to The Fantastic Four.

Chris Columbus — His films Mrs. Doubtfire, Bicentenial Man, two Harry Potter films, and the Percey Jackson movie all contain key elements necessary for making a proper Fantastic Four movie and franchise, from a career spanning nearly forty years.

Justin Lin — His amazing work on the Star Trek and Fast & Furious franchises proves Lin could craft The Fantastic Four as a perfect blend of eye-popping futurist technology and powerful “family” ensemble in a world-saving action-adventure tale.

Gina Prince-Bythewood — Her work in Love & Basketball, Beyond the Lights, and The Secret Life of Bees resonant with family, loss, and life, while The Old Guard brings those complex sensibilities to the superhero genre with wonderful sci-fantasy results.

David Yates — For some reason Yates is often overlooked for these lists, despite being a seemingly obvious choice. His Harry Potter films are one of the best examples of what The Fantastic Four and a larger series of films could and should accomplish.

And there you have it, dear readers, my list of the top 10 directors for taking on the Fantastic Four franchise for Marvel Studios!

I’ll be back with updates if and when Marvel starts to narrow down their search and picks a director, so stay tuned and be sure to check back soon.