Although it has struggled more than usual in recent years,the Marvel Cinematic Universeis still widely considered to be the top franchise in Hollywood right now. The films and television series from Marvel Studios have become the pinnacle of modern blockbuster entertainment, and the Marvel logo is still powerful enough to get audiences at least vaguely interested in a new project.
While the MCU has worked with some incredible high-profile directors, ranging from Kenneth Branagh to Sam Raimi, Shane Black, Joe Johnston, Jon Favreau and more, the franchise has also developed a reputation for bringing in lesser-known filmmakers to helm their big-budget projects. While this may not always produce super results, it does often bring a fresh new voice into the franchise and increase the director’s profile on a wide scale.
With that in mind, we’ve gathered a list of some of the indie directors that have made the jump to blockbuster filmmaking through the avenue of the MCU. It should also be noted that this is by no means an exhaustive list (we’ve left out the Russo brothers, for example), as we wanted to specifically highlight indie directors who had been already making a name for themselves prior to joining the Marvel franchise.
7James Gunn
Arguably the most famous case of an indie director leveling up through his work with the MCU is none other thanJames Gunn. The director had already been working in Hollywood long before his partnership with Marvel, but the films he was producing were far from the big-budget summer blockbusters he would become known for. Gunn started out primarily as a writer, working on a number of notable studio projects, like the live-actionScooby-Doofilms and Zack Snyder’sDawn of the Deadremake. However, he didn’t make his directorial debut untilSlitherin 2006, a low-budget horror film about slugs that essentially turn people into zombies. From there, he jumped to another low-budget indie genre flick, 2010’sSuper, which starred Rainn Wilson.
How the MCU Altered James Gunn’s Career
After his work onSlitherandSuper, Gunn was eventually brought in to rewrite and direct Marvel’sGuardians of the Galaxy. The film, the tenth to be released in the MCU, was the biggest risk the franchise had taken so far, but the pure creativity and heart that Gunn injected into the film has made it one of the most beloved in the franchise. It instantly transformed him into one of the most talked-about directors in Hollywood.
Since then, he has built on that success by directing both of theGuardianssequels, as well as several DC projects likeThe Suicide SquadandPeacemaker, in addition to writing other films likeThe Belko ExperimentandCoyote vs. Acme. Now, he hasmoved on from the MCUand taken the top job of chief creative officer at DC Studios, where he is in the midst of directingSuperman: Legacy.
6Cate Shortland
The next director we’d like to highlight is Cate Shortland, an Australian filmmaker who has made a name for herself with a number of low-budget indie productions. After writing and directing a handful of short films in the ‘90s, Shortland began to make a name for herself with her feature directorial debut, 2004’sSomersault.
That film gained the attention of the film industry around the world, and it left many excited to see where she would go next. After working on a few television series, such asThe Secret Life of Us, Shortland returned to film directing with 2012’sLore,which was then followed byBerlin Syndromein 2017. With each film, her reputation as a solid director who had yet to really break through into the mainstream continued to build.
Kevin Feige and Scarlett Johansson Wanted an Auteur for Black Widow
Shortland’s blockbuster opportunity came with 2021’sBlack Widow. The film starred Scarlett Johansson as the titular hero, and Johannson herself was very involved in the development and production of the film. She and producer Kevin Feige were keen on bringing in a talented auteur forBlack Widow, in the hopes that it would separate the film from the rest of the MCU pack.
After an extensive search, they decided upon Shortland, whose previous films had proven her more than capable of taking on the film; this also made her the first woman to direct an MCU film solo. Unfortunately, the release of the film amid the COVID-19 pandemic drastically undercut its box office performance and the attention it was able to garner.
Related:Every Woman-Led MCU Release So Far (& Others We’re Excited About)
5Taika Waititi
Another director who has become internationally known for his work in the MCU isTaika Waititi, a filmmaker from New Zealand who has become beloved for his signature wit and the strange tone of his films. If you’re reading this, you know who he is. Before working for Marvel, Waititi’s star was already on the rise. He gained international attention bywriting and directing outstanding filmssuch as 2010’sBoy, 2014’sWhat We Do in the Shadows, and 2016’sHunt for the Wilderpeople, in addition to his work on HBO’sFlight of the Conchordsand acting in 2011’sGreen Lantern. His career was gradually building, and the international acclaim forHunt for the Wilderpeoplefurther cemented him as one of the biggest up-and-coming directors of the early-to-mid 2010s.
Thor: Ragnarok Turned Waititi into a Star
Following the success ofHunt for the Wilderpeoplein 2016, Waititi’s next film wasThor: Ragnarok, the third film in theThorseries which drastically reinvented the character and the approach to telling his story. Marvel did the unexpected and actually allowed Waititi to not only insert his signature style into the film, but to have it essentially permeate the whole thing from top to bottom.Ragnarokwas a massive hit, becoming one of the most praised and financially successful films in the franchise so far.
Since then, Waiti has become an Oscar winner for his 2019 filmJojo Rabbit, and he has continued to build his blockbuster catalog by directingThor: Love and Thunderand some of the first season of theStar WarsDisney+ seriesThe Mandalorian. He has also done a lot of other television work through writing, creating and producing shows likeReservation Dogs,What We Do in the ShadowsandOur Flag Means Death.
4Destin Daniel Cretton
One of the most prominent names in the MCU post-Endgamehas beenDestin Daniel Cretton, though the director had already built a great body of work prior to his days with Marvel. His directorial debut came in 2012 withI Am Not a Hipster, though he would gain substantially more attention for his follow-up, 2013’sShort Term 12. The film was widely considered to be one of the best films of that year, though it was unfortunately shut out of essentially every major awards race, resulting in some of the most notable Oscar snubs of the early 2010s. He then followed that up with 2017’sThe Glass Castle, for which he re-teamed with star Brie Larson, as well as 2019’sJust Mercy, starring Michael B. Jordan, which was another notable Oscar snub.
Cretton Has Become One of the MCU’s Leading Voices
After all this, Cretton joined the MCU by directing 2021’sShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, one of the strongest debuts for a character in the modern era of the MCU. He directed and co-wrote the film, and he is currently on board to do the same for an in-development sequel. For a time, he was also signed on to direct the nextAvengersfilm, then titledAvengers: Kang Dynasty, though he has since stepped away from that film to focus on other Marvel projects.
One such project is the upcomingWonder Manminiseries, starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Ben Kingsley and Ed Harris. With both theShang-Chisequel and theWonder Manseries coming up, Cretton is booked up with Marvel content for a while, though we are still hopeful that he’ll get the chance to tackle anAvengersfilms sooner rather than later.
Related:Shang-Chi 2 Finally Gets a Positive Update for the First Time in Months
3Jon Watts
Jon Wattsmay be the best example of an indie director majorly leveling up by taking a job working within the confines of the MCU. He got his start directing in the early 2000s, primarily working on commercials and music videos for artists such as Switchfoot, The Wallflowers, Death Cab for Cutie, and Jason Mraz. From there, he did some directing for theOnion News Networkbefore jumping into his debut film, the 2014 horror filmClown, produced by and starring Eli Roth. He then moved on to 2015’sCop Car, a thriller starring Kevin Bacon, Shea Whigham, James Freedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford.
Watts Delivered With Tom Holland’s Spider-Man
It was right around the time thatCop Carwas released that Watts was officially announced as the director ofSpider-Man: Homecoming, the highly-anticipated debut solo film for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in the MCU. The director found immense success working as theSpider-Mandirector, with particular praise directed toward his John Hughes-inspired approach to the films. He went on to direct both 2019’sSpider-Man: Far From Homeand 2021’sSpider-Man: No Way Home.
For a time, he was also signed on to direct the upcomingFantastic Fourfilm for Marvel Studios as well, thoughhe has since stepped away. Currently, he is working on the upcomingStar WarsseriesSkeleton Crew, which he is the creator, writer and showrunner of, in addition to filming his first post-Spider-Manfilm,Wolfs, a thriller starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt.
2Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
The directing duo ofAnna BodenandRyan Fleckare the latest entry on this list, as they had gradually built a solid body of work in Hollywood before joining the MCU. Their debut film was 2006’sHalf Nelson, starring Ryan Gosling, though technically only Fleck is credited as that film’s director.
The film earned Gosling his first Oscar nomination, and Boden and Fleck went on to tackle other low-budget drama and genre films, such as 2008’sSugarand 2010’sIt’s Kind of a Funny Story. They gained more attention in 2015 withMississippi Grind, distributed by A24, which is a film about two gamblers (played by Ryan Reynolds and Ben Mendelsohn) who quickly get in way too over their heads.
The Strange Case of the Captain Marvel Directing Duo
When developingCaptain Marvel, the MCU’s first female-led superhero outing, Marvel Studios targeted a number of high-profile directors, such as Ava Duvernay, before ultimately deciding to bring on Boden and Fleck. This made Boden the first female director to work on an MCU feature. The film that the duo delivered received decent reviews, though it was a massive box office success, crossing the $1 billion mark and becoming one of the MCU’s biggest hits so far.
However, these days,Captain Marvelis consistently rated as one of the worst films in the MCU, and Marvel Studios did not bring the duo back for the sequel, 2023’sThe Marvels. However, they’ve continued to work elsewhere, directing episodes of the showsMrs. AmericaandMasters of the Air, as well as the upcoming filmFreaky Tales.
1Chloé Zhao
Finally, the last director we wanted to include on this list isChloé Zhao, another relatively recent filmmaker to work with Marvel Studios. After directing a few short films in the 2000s and early 2010s, Zhao made her feature debut in 2015 withSongs My Brothers Taught Me, a coming-of-age tale about young Lakota Sioux siblings living in the Pine Ridge reservation on the border between Nebraska and South Dakota.
The film was incredibly well-received, even going as far as being nominated for several awards at the Cannes Film Festival and the Independent Spirit Awards. After that, Zhao continued to expand upon her neo-Western style with 2017’sThe Riderand 2020’sNomadland. The latter made her a filmmaker you couldn’t miss, asNomadlandwas a major Oscar contender, winning both Best Picture and Best Director for Zhao.
Zhao’s MCU Contributions Proved Divisive
BeforeNomadlandmade a substantial splash at the 2021 Academy Awards, Zhao had already begun work on her follow-up, the experimental MCU film,Eternals. The film broadened the MCU by getting muchmore existential than any other film in the franchisehad been, as it introduced god-like beings and explicitly detailed the creation of the universe. Although Feige and Marvel Studios believed it was one of the best films they’d produced, Marvel fans had a different reaction.
It became the first MCU to earn a “rotten” score on Rotten Tomatoes, and MCU fans are still divided on the film to this day. Some believe it to be a shining diamond of filmmaking, while others believe it fails to deliver on its premise. Currently, Zhao is set to adapt the novelHamnet, a fictional telling of William Shakespeare’s life, and she is also developing a futuristic take on Bram Stoker’sDracula.
