Filmmaker Chris Columbus says it was Marvel Comics that inspired him to become a filmmaker. Columbus has been one of the most prolific creators in Hollywood since he broke out in the 1980s with his screenplays Gremlins, The Goonies, and Young Sherlock Holmes. His work as a director has produced some of the biggest films in family entertainment including Home Alone and the first two Harry Potter films.

The Harry Potter franchise is one of the most successful film series of all time, and right as it ended in 2011 it handed the baton off to the Marvel Cinematic Universe when 2012's The Avengers broke Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2's record for the biggest opening weekend of all time. Since then, the MCU and the various Marvel heroes have become more popular, known the world over, and become institutions of pop culture to a larger audience than ever before. Marvel's latest film, Eternals, is based on a short-lived comic series by Jack Kirby from the 1970s that most people would never imagine as getting a feature film.

Related: Harry Potter: The Sorcerer’s Stone Explained (& Why It Was Destroyed)

The rich history of Marvel Comics has obviously inspired the films of the MCU but also inspired many filmmakers and director Chris Columbus is no exception. In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, Columbus mentioned how Marvel Comics inspired him to become a filmmaker. Columbus was born in 1958, meaning he grew up in the golden age of Marvel Comics when the various writers and artists were creating some of the most iconic characters from the Fantastic Four to the Hulk to the X-Men and many more. The director's personal favorite is one of Marvel's most popular superheroes, Spider-Man. Columbus told Screenrant:

"...But honestly, the reason I got into the film business, the reason I got into movies as a kid, was because of Marvel Comics, because that's what I wanted to do. And Spider Man was my hero as a kid."

Chris Columbus Directing Harry Potter

Columbus has come close to adapting Marvel Comics into feature films before. In 1995 he signed on to direct Fantastic Four, but stepped down from the project and became an executive producer. His production company 1492 Pictures produced both the 2005 film and the 2007 sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. In 1999, Columbus was in the running to direct the first Spider-Man movie before Sam Raimi, who was also a big Spider-Man fan. Ironically, Spider-Man would be the film that would break Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone opening weekend box-office record.

Currently, there are no plans for Columbus to direct an adaptation of a Marvel comic, yet there is no shortage of characters if he ever decides to. Sony Pictures is developing their own cinematic universe using the various characters they have from the Spider-Man film rights, and Columbus could direct one of those, given his love of the Spider-Man character. While many of the MCU films already have directors signed on, there are potentially rumored projects like Nova and The Young Avengers that Columbus would be ideal for given his history of directing young adult and kid-led projects.

Next: How Marvel Is Setting Up Young Avengers In Phase 4

Source: Screen Rant