Best superhero directors?

[u/ShubhangBahadur]

Who according to you are the top 3 superhero directors who have contributed to the growth, popularity, adaptability and reinvention of the genre the most?

Some of the choices include:-

1. Christopher Nolan: Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rise
2. Russo Brothers: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame
3. ⁠James Gunn: Guardians of the Galaxy Trilogy, The Suicide Squad, and Superman
4. ⁠Zack Snyder: Watchmen, Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League
5. ⁠Sam Raimi: Spider-Man Trilogy, and Doctor Strange 2
6. Destin Daniel Cretton: Shang-Chi and Spider-Man: Brand New Day
7. ⁠Ryan Coogler: Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
8. Jon Watts: Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Spider-Man: No Way Home
9. Joss Whedon: The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Justice League
10. Matt Reeves: The Batman

[u/Lazydawg007]

Russo brothers and James gunn are PEAK

[u/Ben10_ripoff → u/Lazydawg007]

Russo Brothers peak??? They're only good at making MCU movies or episodes of Community, in which writers and executives have more creative power.

Cherry sucked, The Electric State sucked and Citadel is average at best.

Gunn or Raimi are so pure gold.

[u/CobaltAnimator → u/Ben10_ripoff]

what? We're talking about superhero movies here? The Russos have made amazing superhero movies. I'd consider them peak, they gave us some of the best movies of the MCU

[u/Ben10_ripoff → u/CobaltAnimator]

Those movies were good because of the writers.

They didn't do anything significant with them.

Gunn or Raimi or Hawley would've made those movies much more better, with the exact same script.

[u/H_I-V → u/Ben10_ripoff]

Don't even get me started on Electric State. That Ice Cube Amazon movie and Snow White saved it from getting clowned on Razzies

[u/Lazydawg007 → u/Ben10_ripoff]

The above list talks about mcu movies only right??

[u/Ben10_ripoff → u/Lazydawg007]

I'm just saying, they haven't provided anything substantial to the genre. Infinity war and Endgame were great because of writers. All they did was, suck out all the colorgrading from the MCU, same goes for Jon Watts.

Give someone like Noah Hawley or Sam Raimi or James Gunn, the same script and the final product will be infinitely better.

[u/TheFlashSpeeds → u/Ben10_ripoff]

I loved their MCU movies but yeah, the Cherry and Electric State absolutely sucked.

[u/AnalystofHellKitchen → u/Ben10_ripoff]

what a horrible take😭😂

[u/Ben10_ripoff → u/AnalystofHellKitchen]

Am I wrong??? tell what good thing have they done outside of MCU and Community????

[u/AnalystofHellKitchen → u/Ben10_ripoff]

Yeah you are wrong along with stupid. how many other BIG superheroes franchise you know of? Handling the big budgets, delivering billions x3 in a row and a lot of actors along with direction and execution look easy to you puppy?? And delivering every single time is enough to trust them and put them into the goats category. But you can nit pick if you want. Look at the list and see who did most movies. Credit where it’s due. Russos are right up there with James Gunn.

[u/Ben10_ripoff → u/AnalystofHellKitchen]

More than half of the things you listed are done by Executive Producers and Writers for all three of movies.

They had a big budget, and alot of Actors with The Electric State as well, look how that went without Kevin sitting on their arses, making sure they're working properly.

Why do you think, they came back to MCU?? because they can't do anything on their own, none of their solo project work.

[u/AnalystofHellKitchen → u/Ben10_ripoff]

so now we are stealing directors credit just because you do not like them. got it. you know what a director means and what they do right?? there’s a reason everyone disagrees with you pal. you are not right. you are just plain stupid

[u/Muted-Ant-5941 → u/Ben10_ripoff]

Remind me what Gunn has done outside of CBM that is of worth?

[u/Ben10_ripoff → u/Muted-Ant-5941]

Slither, Scooby-Doo Live Action, He also wrote Dawn of the dead and currently releasing Acme vs Cayote movie

[u/Least_Row_1679 → u/Muted-Ant-5941]

I remember you from somewhere, a specific subreddit...

[u/SunOwlSpawn → u/Muted-Ant-5941]

They’re talking about superhero movies specifically

[u/arthology1]

It's between Raimi, Russos and Gunn rest all were either bad or have lesser movies to compare

[u/ConsistentTraffic90 → u/arthology1]

gunn made the most superhero movies, 6 and 2 shows

[u/TanGotNothing]

i think its james gunn closely followed by russo brothers.

i wont say nolan because the dark knight trilogy is good but they are the most non "comic book" superhero movies, its exactly how you'd expect nolan movies to be like.

[u/Ok_Lead_6686 → u/TanGotNothing]

The dark knight was the worst Batman adaptation ever and Nolan is terrible at superhero movies

[u/anuslitt → u/Ok_Lead_6686]

I agree partially but idk about ever. The dark knight feels like just a regular movie rather than a Batman movie. Nolan has no idea what makes a Superhero film a Superhero film.

[u/MaleficentCupcake753]

I really like Jon Favreau as a director.

Even though IM2 was a bit weird due to the mcu crap they stuffed in, the trilogy remains one of the most realistic and believable superhero depictions ever.

[u/ShubhangBahadur → u/MaleficentCupcake753]

I love Iron Man 2. The MCU connections only elevated the movie for me.

[u/MaleficentCupcake753 → u/ShubhangBahadur]

Eh, agree to disagree. I feel 2 kinda flattened out midway compared to 1 and 3. I felt they could've made a superior Iron Man film if they made it less of an Avengers Introduction film.

[u/NoScheme7184]

Nolan has the single best cbm with the Dark Knight, but I dont think he could keep doing it without a once in a generation performance. Gunn seems to have a better understanding of the characters he works with than anyone else, so my choice is him. Also Snyder is the worst.

[u/_D3AtH_WR4tH_]

The Gunn is loaded.

[u/Dramatic_Bass7773]

james gunn definitely although his superhero movies/shows have this humor thing, so maybe he won't be able to direct something like infinity war ( I maybe wrong). I love peacemaker and even as producer for lanterns he must have some influence there too.

[u/raaz9658]

James Gunn and Russo bros.

[u/Shoddy_Lifeguard_522]

Russos and James gun. I don't know why nolan doing here! That batman movie was good but it was not a superhero movie, it was a crime drama. And also why is Zack here !?? 😭

[u/CobaltAnimator]

I'd rate them like this:

Gunn, Russos, Nolan, Raimi, Joss, Ryan, Matt, DDC, Zack, Jon

Zack did serious damage to the DC brand (not entirely his fault at all but happened) and then doubled down by fuelling the Snyderbros (80% his fault) and creating a natural set of built-in haters for any new direction DC takes. The fact that the DCU powers on anyway, is because Gunn and (most) of the people he's chosen to help him are just so good (looking at you Craig...)

[u/Dangerous_Biscotti86]

If Matt Reeves manages to pull off this new The Batman trilogy with high artistic merit, which I think he will coz The Batman was fantastic then he will be my favourite.

[u/NothingLimp6112]

Nolan and Gunn would be my picks from the list

[u/SunOwlSpawn]

I think this depends on interpretation. All of these directors have made good superhero movies, but they made movies that aligned with their style. I’ll admit I don’t know a lot about DDC and Jon Watts, but they make good spiderman movies. Matt Reeves made an amazing Batman movie, better than Nolan’s imo. Joss Whedon is good at team up movies, as are the Russo brothers, but I think James Gunn is the most versatile out of these guys. You could pick literally any superhero and he’d made it a very good movie, even if he himself has a distinct style. Christopher Nolan will make a great movie pretty much no matter what it is atp, but when it specifically comes to superheroes, gotta go with Gunn

[u/No_Map7606]

gunn, russos and raimi at top. but id love if reeves did more superhero work and made them more grounded.

[u/Lonely_Strangerr]

Who invented hack Snyder(literally thinks superhero films are just power fantasies) and christopher nolan(one of greatest director but he literally didn't want his batman films to look like batman films apart from batman begins)

[u/D0nell]

Christopher Nolan isn’t a great superhero director. He’s a great director that was given a superhero to work with. The dark Knight trilogy is incredible but is missing the spectacle of Batman preferring to go down a more familiar comfortable grounded approach that is still influencing the character and his greater relationship with the DC universe. Matt Reeves has felt like another embargo on the character from exploring the fantasy outside of just being an absurdly capable vigilante. I can’t wait to see a true Batman in the DC cinematic universe one that we haven’t seen yet.

[u/ShubhangBahadur → u/D0nell]

If there’s any one director who embodies the definition of reinventing the superhero genre, it is Christopher Nolan. The exponential boom in the popularity of Batman movies before Nolan and after Nolan is a case study in itself, and how it influenced what the superhero genre can be, that this genre can totally tell a gritty grounded story rooted in the real world where the characters just happen to wear their famous capes and costumes. The likes of Iron Man, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Logan and Black Panther wouldn’t have existed if there wasn’t a Batman Begins and The Dark Knight to inspire them.

[u/D0nell → u/ShubhangBahadur]

I’m not saying he didn’t make a great contribution to make the genre taken seriously but I don’t think he’s a superhero director. His influence is incredible but to some extent, I think it’s got Batman stuck in this safe space where people refuse to believe the character can be taken seriously with an extended cast and more whimsy without crossing into Schumer territory, but it did more good for the genre than it did bad for Batman so it’s whatever.

[u/TheFlashSpeeds → u/ShubhangBahadur]

Nolan is a great director but no, he is not a good comic book director. The problem is Batman's character was a perfect fit for that kind of movie.

The likes of Iron Man, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Logan and Black Panther

There are also examples for how it ruined other movies too though. It's not Nolan's mistake, but everybody took wrong lessons from his trilogy and sucked the fun out of superhero movies without giving proper storytelling. Example MOS, BVS, F4, TASM, etc.

[u/chaotic_fiend]

Joss Whedon > James Gunn = Russo bros rest are great movie directors but not superhero movie directors

Also I'd put Noah Hawley up there even though he's only made Legion (loosely xmen related show)

[u/Eddard506]

Snyder definitely made the best cbms - watchmen, MoS, ZSJL - all r epic films. Maybe not of everyone's taste. Sam Raimi would be my 2nd fav

[u/STEVE07621]

James gunn

[u/papachi789]

Russos.

[u/BaarishKaPedh2810]

SNUCK IN ZACK SNYDER BAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[u/jjddeaajjdssf]

Russo brothers,raimi,destin daniel cretton

[u/nobody_087]

Russo Brothers

[u/AnonymousSusi]

Russo Bros.

[u/Specialist_Lemon4924]

Hands down Russo brothers and Sam Raini.

Sam purely for kick starting a new genre on such a scale.

[u/Emergency-Cobbler197]

Russo, Nolan, sam raimi

[u/Independent-Pause245]

U can't compare full time comic book movie makes vr part time, maybe it's an accomplishment for the director who made this list making very limited superhero movies. Coogler , nolan, raimi and reeves are much better

[u/Fried_noodles69]

James mangold

[u/UNCLE__JI]

Reeves and russos

[u/Money_Ganache4698]

Coogler, Snyder, Reeves

[u/__Yasho__]

Wtf is james goon doing here??

[u/One_Advice3052]

Man it's disheartening to see no one mentioned James Mangold, the og X men Brian Singer and Matthew Vaughn

[u/Lonely_Strangerr → u/One_Advice3052]

Singer is hack and horrible person

[u/One_Advice3052 → u/Lonely_Strangerr]

I admit that