7 Directors Who Nearly Helmed Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies

Across 34 films, Marvel Studios has employed a whole slew of directors to bring its individual Marvel Cinematic Universe films to life. Occasionally filmmakers like Anthony and Joe Russo recur in this space, but typically, they’re one-off figures who come and go. Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, Chloe Zhao, Kenneth Branagh, Scott Derrickson, Louis Leterrier, Cate Shortland, are just a few of the people who’ve only helmed one movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe over its 16+ year existence in movie theaters. Not all of these figures are household names, but many have garnered an extra dose of popularity after their Marvel Studios experiences.

But what about the directors who got close to helming Marvel Studios titles but didn’t get a chance to realize their creative visions? We all know Patty Jenkins left Thor: The Dark World and Edgar Wright departed Ant-Man two months before filming. But what about lesser-known directors that got so close to directing various Marvel Studios motion pictures? Ahead, let’s look at seven lesser-known instances of directors who almost joined the pantheon of Marvel Cinematic Universe directors. For a whole litany of reasons, though, these directing opportunities never came to pass.

Brian Kirk & Thor: The Dark World

Thor: The Dark World’s extensive creative problems can be traced back to its inability to land a director. After original Thor filmmaker Branagh passed on returning for this follow-up, the project went through countless names (including Jenkins) before settling on the final choice of Alan Taylor. The very first person reported to be in talks for the project was Brian Kirk. Like Taylor, Kirk had garnered notoriety for his work helming Game of Thrones episodes. He’d also directed two movies (including 2009 indie Cherrybomb) before this potential gig. Though Kirk was reported to be in talks for The Dark World, this never came to pass and Jenkins was the next filmmaker connected to this eventually-cursed tentpole.

Travis Knight & Eternals

Before Chloe Zhao was selected to direct the feature, Eternals went through a whole slew of potential filmmaker choices. Among those names was Travis Knight, most famous for leading the animation studio Laika. In late 2018, when Marvel Studios was figuring out an Eternals director, Knight had proven his live-action filmmaking chops on Bumblebee. Helming a Marvel Studios movie could’ve been the next step in his live-action cinema journey. Eventually, though, Marvel opted for Zhao, a newcomer to the world of tentpole cinema.

Mark Andrews & Doctor Strange

Among the finalists to direct the original Doctor Strange was another name from the Disney empire: Mark Andrews. This Pixar veteran had won an Oscar for directing the 2012 feature Brave. Like past Pixar filmmakers Andrew Stanton and Brad Bird, Andrews clearly harbored live-action filmmaking ambitions. Doctor Strange could’ve been a way of realizing those dreams. Andrews got so connected to the project that, back in March 2014, he even had to play coy and refuse to respond to an interview question about Doctor Strange. This gig would eventually slip through Andrews’ fingers, with Scott Derrickson instead handling the feature.

Rob Letterman and Thor: Ragnarok

Among the finalists to helm Thor: Ragnarok was Rob Letterman, a DreamWorks Animation veteran best known for helming Monsters vs. Aliens and Shark Tale. His experience helming visual effects-oriented live-action movies like Gulliver’s Travels and Goosebumps also likely made him a prime pick for Marvel Studios, who were clearly hoping from the start that Ragnarok could have a lighter touch than past Thor movies. Rather than snagging a family movie veteran, Marvel Studios instead got the What We Do In The Shadows mastermind to change Asgard forever.

[Related: The Eight Worst MCU Post-Credit Scenes]

Jonathan Levine and Spider-Man: Homecoming

With the 2008 feature The Wackness, director Jonathan Levine established an ability to work with teenage stories that could’ve served Spider-Man: Homecoming well. He continued that deftness with 2013’s Warm Bodies while he also warmed up to Sony/Columbia Pictures brass by helming the 2015 comedy The Night Before. No wonder he was one of the finalists constantly mentioned as being connected to Homecoming. Ironically, eventual Homecoming director Jon Watts wasn’t even in the initial reports about directing choices for Homecoming! Eventually, though, this Cop Car helmer would blow past Levine and helm Tom Holland’s first solo Spidey outing.

David Wain and Ant-Man

Once Wright left Ant-Man, the production scrambled to find a replacement who get this project out in time for its July 2015 release date. Among the names heavily considered for the project was quirky indie comedy auteur David Wain. The helmer behind Wet Hot American Summer, Wain could’ve been a coup for the project thanks to the man’s relationship with Ant-Man leading man Paul Rudd. Wain and Rudd had worked together on many projects, including They Came Together, Summer, and Role Models. Though that could’ve been a fun reunion, Marvel opted to hire Peyton Reed for the gig instead.

Jamie Babbit and The Marvels

Among the three finalists for The Marvels (once it became clear Boden and Fleck wouldn’t return from Captain Marvel) was none other than But I’m a Cheerleader master filmmaker Jamie Babbit. Many indie filmmakers graduate to suddenly embracing much bigger-scale directing with MCU projects. Babbit would’ve been an especially interesting case since, unlike Zhao or Watts, she wasn’t a fresh-faced indie darling. She’d been helming microbudget indie features for over 20 years before she was considered for The Marvels! Babbit and Marvel Studios was never meant to be, as Nia DaCosta instead helmed this project.

MCU movies can be streamed on Disney+.