Who Should Direct The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s First ‘Fantastic Four’ Movie?

After weeks of anticipation, the deal between Disney and 21st Century Fox has officially gone through.

While the House of Mouse will now own a slew of other new properties, many are speculating about what this deal means for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, now that Marvel Studios owns the rights to characters like the X-Men, Deadpool, and the Fantastic Four.

The topic of an MCU-set Fantastic Four movie has been hypothesized for quite a while, especially after the franchise suffered through several ill-fated film incarnations. With their MCU introduction now pretty likely, fans are already speculating about what kind of Fantastic Four movie we could see, now that Disney is at the helm. While it’s way too early to answer that question, we thought we’d break down ten directors that we’d like to see direct the MCU’s first Fantastic Four movie.

James Gunn

This one feels like a given, considering Gunn’s previous body of work within the MCU. Gunn was able to turn the Guardians of the Galaxy into a household name through his films, taking fans on a fun, cosmic thrill ride in the process.

That approach could easily translate over to Fantastic Four, especially since Gunn has laid a bit of the cosmic groundwork through his Guardians films. And Gunn would certainly create a unique entry into the Fantastic Four franchise, both helping erase the stigma of the previous films while creating something with a bit of a different touch than Guardians.

And in addition, Gunn actually wrote a Silver Surfer treatment a few years back, which means he could still be itching to explore that side of the Marvel Comics lore.

Taika Waititi

Speaking of, there’s another Marvel alum who feels like a logical guess to take on the Fantastic Four. Taika Waititi exceeded audience’s expectations with last month’s Thor: Ragnarok, giving audiences one of the most colorful and charming MCU entries in a while.

Waititi’s ability to completely deconstructing the preconceived notions around Thor (occasionally going into full-on parody) could bode well for Fantastic Four, and provide a sort of wink and nod to the franchises that came before it. And Waititi’s grasp on what the MCU needs has certainly been financially successful, and Marvel has already expressed an interest in working with him again.

Plus, you know you’d love to see see a crossover between The Thing and Korg.

Ava Duvernay

While Ava Duvernay has yet to make her mark on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, fans have been clamoring for her to enter the franchise (or the Star Wars franchise) for quite some time. The director has turned into a fan favorite in recent years, thanks to her award-winning work on Selma and on the beloved TV series Queen Sugar.

As it stands, Duvernay already has a pretty major in with Disney, with her currently at the helm of the breathtaking-looking adaptation of A Wrinkle In Time. If A Wrinkle In Time does well next year (and it probably will), putting her mark on a Marvel franchise like Fantastic Four would be a pretty great next step.

The end result could be equally impactful, family-friendly (something Fox previously showed interest in doing), and a lot of fun to watch onscreen.

Brad Bird

There’s a little bit of irony here, seeing as Brad Bird essentially helped introduce Disney’s version of Fantastic Four, the animated fan-favorite The Incredibles. But if anything, that only further proves that he has a grasp on what makes the Fantastic Four successful, which could translate into live-action.

Bird’s version of Fantastic Four would certainly have that general audience appeal that Disney is looking for, with the potential to be as emotional as one of his other films, The Iron Giant. Plus, Bird already has experience directing live-action action sequences, in 2011’s Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.

Matthew Vaughn

Matthew Vaughn has certainly made his mark on the world of comic book movies, from X-Men: First Class to the Kingsman franchise. And while he might not be the first name that comes to mind when people think of the Fantastic Four, his touch on the film would certainly be interesting to see.

Vaughn has even addressed the possibility earlier this year, saying that he’d want to make a new Fantastic Four installment to make up for the previous bad films.

“The other one I’ve felt an obligation to do is, I wouldn’t mind maybe making a Fantastic Four film to apologize to everyone out there that maybe it didn’t go very well for them,” Vaughn explained. “It’s brilliant. One of my favorites is the Fantastic Four, so maybe one day I’ll try and rectify the mistake.”

As fans have seen, Vaughn could easily make a high-octane, enjoyable Fantastic Four movie, and it wouldn’t be impossible to see Disney give him the chance to.

Rashida Jones

While Jones might be best known for her acting roles, she’s recently make the jump behind the camera, and it’d be interesting to see what she could do with Fantastic Four.

Jones already has a foot in the door in the world of Disney, previously cowriting the script for Toy Story 4. As Jones explained last month, following the firing of Pixar executive John Lassiter, she ultimately departed the project due to creative differences. Along the way, Jones called out the bias towards white, male directors within Pixar, something that she hoped to see change in the near future.

Bringing Jones onboard Fantastic Four would help rectify that controversy, while giving fans a unique touch on the franchise. Plus, Jones almost entered the MCU herself back in 2013, when she was rumored to play the female lead in Ant-Man.

Jon Favreau

Another director with an established Disney/Marvel relationship, it wouldn’t be too hard to see Jon Favreau behind the helm of Marvel’s Fantastic Four movie. 

As Marvel fans know, Favreau played a pretty big role in essentially setting up the MCU as we know it, through directing the first two Iron Man movies. Since then, he’s continued to have an impact on the MCU, both by executive producing several of its films, and occasionally appearing as Iron Man sidekick Happy Hogan.

As fans have seen in recent years, Favreau continues to be a pretty strong force on the Disney side of things, helming the live-action Jungle Book and the upcoming Lion King remake. This touch could make him a pretty safe bet for Fantastic Four, and would keep Favreau involved with the MCU into Phase Four.

James Bobin

While Bobin might not be the most recognizable name on the list, he actually could be a pretty good candidate to help bring the Fantastic Four into the MCU.

Bobin has a history of Disney live-action films, including The Muppets, Muppets Most Wanted, and Alice Through the Looking Glass. All three proved to be financially successful and enjoyable franchise films, with The Muppets ultimately earning an Oscar.

Aside from Disney’s track record, he also has a connection (in a Six Degrees sort of way) to one of the directors already mentioned on this list. Bobin helped co-create Flight of the Conchords, the beloved television series starring frequent Taika Waititi collaborator Jemaine Clement. If Disney and Marvel played their cards right, there’s a chance that Bobin could have a Waititi-esque impact on the MCU.

Justin Lin

Again, Lin might not be the first name people think of when creating a hypothetical Fantastic Four movie, but he’d be a pretty good fit.

Lin’s filmography ranges from cult classics like Better Luck Tomorrow to episodes of True Detective. But the properties he currently has the biggest stamp on are the Fast & Furious franchise and last year’s Star Trek: Beyond.

Both Fast & Furious and Beyond balance high-energy action with a storyline about found families, all while honoring the canon that came before it. All in all, this sentiment would be pretty perfect for a reboot of the Fantastic Four. 

Greta Gerwig

Okay, hear us out.

Greta Gerwig might be one of the most talked-about directors right now, thanks to the smash success of her film Lady Bird. Fans and critics alike have rallied around the film, and are hoping that Gerwig will win awards later this season because of it. And while Gerwig might be best known in the indie movie scene, she’s expressed an interest in bigger-budget films, which are sure to come her way following Lady Bird.

As Lady Bird shows, Gerwig has experience tackling family stories, and bringing audience members on a bit of an emotional roller coaster ride in the process. Sure, she might be an unpredictable choice, but it’s hard to deny that her version of Fantastic Four (or any comic book film) would be something worth checking out.