The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand with each passing month as more and more talented creators attach themselves to the various projects therein. As fans continue to anticipate the exciting culmination of the franchise's fourth phase, there is no end in sight for the behind-the-scenes creativity that brings the superhero genre to life.
Over the last fourteen years, many talented directors have helmed MCU films, to varying levels of success. Nevertheless, certain directors have proven to be more lucrative than others, especially when ranked by their average box office earnings (via The Numbers).
Jon Favreau
2 Films - $739,663,968
Jon Favreau is legendary in several fanbases for his terrific storytelling and franchise-building expertise. His contributions to the MCU cannot be understated, as he kicked off the entire franchise in 2008 with Iron Man. He would return for its 2010 sequel, which is the final film within the franchise that he directed, though Favreau would appear for many years thereafter as his character Happy Hogan.
The original Iron Man was a colossal hit, though many had suspected it would flop at the box office. As a result of its predecessor's success and the decision to form a much larger franchise thereafter, Iron Man 2 also did very well, only adding to Favreau's overall profits as a director in the MCU. Though he hasn't directed an MCU feature in over a decade, Favreau's fan-favorite status and historic successes would make him the perfect director for Avengers: Secret Wars.
Taika Waititi
2 Films - $800,254,498
Taika Waititi is a relatively new addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe's catalogue of directors. He joined the franchise with 2017's Thor: Ragnarok, which sparked a new chapter of Thor's character arc, reinventing the character entirely. He would also return for the 2022 sequel, Thor: Love and Thunder.
Waititi's brand-new take on Thor in Ragnarok created enough buzz for the film to become the highest-grossing edition in the Thor series, boosting the director's place among other MCU directors. However, mixed reviews for Love and Thunder somewhat stunted its box office performance, failing to surpass the business of its predecessor and thereby hurting Waititi's average earnings.
James Gunn
2 Films - $819,997,748
James Gunn's 2014 film, Guardians of the Galaxy, may have been a head-scratcher for many fans when it was announced, but the movie quickly became one of the most beloved entries in the MCU, leading Gunn to return for its 2017 sequel. Despite controversy in recent years that questioned his future with the series, Gunn will helm 2023's Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 3.
The original Guardians of the Galaxy surpassed all expectations at the box office, creating great excitement for Volume 2, which was released three years later to an even higher worldwide total. While Gunn is already one of the MCU's most profitable assets, the monumental excitement for the next chapter in the Guardians franchise will undoubtedly boost him even higher when the film finally releases in May.
Sam Raimi
1 Film - $952,302,547
After kicking off the superhero movie craze of the early 2000s with his Spider-Man trilogy, Sam Raimi returned to the genre over a decade later with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. He has thus far directed only one film in the MCU, but could very well return in future phases of the franchise given his fan-favorite status among Marvel enthusiasts.
Though Multiverse of Madness did not perform quite as highly as many speculators had suggested, it was anything but a box office flop. The film ultimately raked in nearly $1 billion worldwide, earning enough money to make Raimi one of the highest-earning directors in the franchise with only a single film under his belt.
Anna Boden And Ryan Fleck
1 Film - $1,129,727,388
Sandwiched between two Avengers films, 2019's Captain Marvel was one of the highest-anticipated entries in the MCU's third phase. The film saw the debut of Brie Larson's eponymous character as well as the first collaboration between Marvel and the directing duo Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. The film made over $1 billion, making it one of the highest-grossing Marvel films of all time.
With only a single film in the franchise, Fleck and Boden have outearned the average box office numbers of most other MCU directors. Despite their film's success, the directing team is not currently slated to return for any future Marvel projects, including 2023's Captain Marvel sequel, The Marvels, which will be helmed by Nia DaCosta.
Shane Black
1 Film - $1,215,392,272
After Jon Favreau directed the first two films in the series, Shane Black was brought on to helm Iron Man 3, Robert Downey Jr.'s last solo outing in the MCU. Though the film made some changes that fans weren't happy about, Iron Man 3 was the highest-earning entry in the Iron Man franchise, garnering over $1 billion at the worldwide box office.
Though Black's film was a massive success from a financial standpoint, the director's very specific style did not agree with all fans of the franchise, leading his involvement in the MCU to remain a one-off arrangement. Nevertheless, he remains one of the most lucrative creators under the Marvel banner even almost a decade after his entry was released.
Jon Watts
3 Films - $1,309,619,008
Jon Watts is the first MCU director to helm all three installments of any respective trilogy, with his Spider-Man trilogy becoming incredibly successful at the worldwide box office. The director joined the franchise with Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2017, later returning for Far From Home and No Way Home in 2019 and 2021, respectively.
All three of Watts's films in the MCU were box office successes, with the final two breaking the historic $1 billion benchmark. The director is clearly one of the MCU's most lucrative assets, indicating that his involvement with the franchise will not end after No Way Home despite Watts recently dropping out of the upcoming Fantastic 4 reboot.
Ryan Coogler
1 Film - $1,336,494,321
Ryan Coogler left the world in awe after the release of his 2018 film Black Panther, which introduced the fictional world of Wakanda to general audiences. Coogler was invited back to the MCU after the success of his initial film, with the sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, set to premiere in November.
Coogler proved himself a visionary within the superhero genre quite quickly, sparking a cultural revolution with the release of Black Panther. His box office average is sure to increase as anticipation builds for Wakanda Forever, which, despite a challenging production, remains one of the most exciting entries of Phase 4.
Joss Whedon
2 Films - $1,455,208,595
Though many viewers may remember him as the man who took over 2017's Justice League film, Joss Whedon was first and foremost a Marvel director. He joined the franchise with 2012's epic team-up film, The Avengers. Whedon returned after the success of his initial film, delivering Avengers: Age of Ultron in 2015.
Whedon's two films set within the MCU were major box office draws, both of which proved that the cinematic universe model could be incredibly lucrative when done right. Fan excitement for the team-up films made Avengers and Age of Ultron two of the highest-earning films of all time, establishing a franchise that would last for years to come.
The Russo Brothers
4 Films - $1,678,120,182
Directing duo Joe and Anthony Russo have the most MCU films under their belt, releasing four features in the span of five years, each more successful than the last. The brothers were brought in to helm Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which proved so successful that they were soon slated to return for the 2016 sequel, Civil War, and the final two Avengers films, which concluded the Infinity Saga.
The Russo brothers have delivered some of the greatest installments in the MCU--and the most successful. All but one of their films broke the $1 billion mark, with Infinity War and Endgame each also surpassing $2 billion at the global box office. Though it has been revealed that they will not return for Secret Wars, Marvel no doubt would love to see their return to the franchise for yet another box office hit.