In recent years, Kevin Feige, head of Marvel Studios, has made a continuous habit of hiring directors of smaller and more independent films to helm their next big-budgeted entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Considering the acclaim and accolades these directors achieved for their prior works, it makes sense for major studios wanting to hire them for their mainstream tent pole films.
With once small-budgeted filmmakers like Taika Waititi and Chloe Zhao now at the helm of this blockbuster franchise, many have speculated as to how other independents would fare if offered the same opportunity.
Olivia Wilde
While she's a very well-known performer, Olivia Wilde took the independent route to produce her directorial debut, Booksmart, in 2019. The film became a sleeper hit, and received an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature, solidifying her status as a major Hollywood double threat.
Reddit user king_froman claim "there are a lot of indie directors" they have in mind and lists Wilde as one of their several choices for any potential upcoming MCU film. As seen in Booksmart, Wilde knows how to effectively control the camera. While the script was air-tight, it was ultimately her techniques behind the camera that made certain moments either funnier or more emotional, and it would be interesting to see how she could apply them to an action scene.
The Duffer Bros
While people may know them mostly as the creators of Stranger Things, Matt and Ross Duffer got their start in the industry by making short horror films as well as the 2015 psychological horror film Hidden. Because of their background in the horror genre, Redditor punchasuar thinks "they would be perfect for a Man-Thing movie or show."
Given their dedication to the hit Netflix show, it seems unlikely that they'll be available to tackle another film anytime soon. However, given how they've managed to capture several cheer-worthy moments on Stranger Things, the potential they have in inciting a similar reaction from a movie theater audience is something truly exciting.
The Safdie Brothers
Brothers Joshua and Benjamin Safdie have directed 5 films so far together, and only with their last two, 2017's Good Time and 2019's Uncut Gems, have they finally received the acclaim and attention they deserve. Reddit user Handsome-ishJack wants to see them join the MCU, saying "I would love for the Safdie Brothers to work on a Daredevil/Defenders project."
The user acknowledges just how different the style and tone of their films are compared to the average Hollywood or Marvel movie, but they also mention how Marvel appears to be branching out more and more as of late, especially with episodes of their series, WandaVision. The dark and grungy portrayal of New York in their films seems like an ideal fit for a character like Daredevil, but the possibility of them taking it on is currently unlikely, especially given how they've admitted to already turning down an offer do to a superhero film.
Ana Lily Amirpour
Another one of king_froman's top picks for an MCU director is Ana Lily Amirpour, best known for the 2014 Persian horror film, A Girl Walks Home In The Night, and the Jason Mamoa dystopian thriller The Bad Batch from 2016.
She's dipped her toe in the Marvel universe before, having directed a season 2 episode of Noah Hawley's X-Men series Legion on FX, so she's familiar enough with the territory. Redditor tinafeychalamet concurs with king_froman's choice, replying "Ana Lily Amirpour's Legion episode was great!" Whether or not she could handle the more PG-13 nature of the MCU compared to the more adult nature of Legion as well as her own films is another story.
Lulu Wang
With her 2019 film, The Farewell, having won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Feature, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Best Foreign Language film, Lulu Wang has proven to be an extremely gifted storyteller. She had actually been approached by Marvel Studios before with an offer to direct, and Redditor MeisterWiggin has expressed their disappointment that no further information on the offer has been given since, saying it's a "shame she's not doing it."
Whether or not she turned down the offer due to a legitimate lack of interest or if she was simply too busy with other potential projects to say yes is still a mystery, but that won't stop fans from wanting her to eventually give the superhero genre a shot. Wang had also previously directed Shang-Chi star Awkwafina in one of her best roles that won her Golden Globe for Best Lead Actress, so she already has a good report with at least one person who's involved in the MCU.
David Lowery
While having worked with Disney before on the bigger budgeted films like 2016 remake of Pete's Dragon and the upcoming live-action remake of Peter Pan, David Lowery has also gone back to the independent circuit, having direct 2017's A Ghost Story and 2021's The Green Knight for A24.
Reddit user mikenasty has listed Lowery as one of their top picks to direct either any potential Marvel or Star Wars film. From their perspective, giving someone like Lowery creative control of a Marvel project "seems like a great way to combine critic and commercial success."
Alex Garland
Yet another noteworthy contributor to A24's filmography, Alex Garland had been brought up by Reddit user Zosodechaine as their main choice to helm the upcoming Fantastic Four film before Jon Watts became attached.
They went on to mention that given the unique way he portrays such oddities like Ex-Machina's AI and eldritch alien seen in Annihilation with a certain elegance, that perhaps if Silver Surfer or Galactus were involved, that fans "would be in for a treat." With the Redditor also mentioning how the director has worked with several MCU actors in his previous works and highly values their own input on their characters, Garland seems like a team player who could handle the environment very well.
Emerald Fennell
Fresh off her Best Original Screenplay Oscar win for her film Promising Young Woman, Emerald Fennell was approached earlier in the year by DC and Warner Bros. to write and possibly direct a feature film based around the character of Zatanna. Despite her current engagement with DC, Redditor Painting0125 wishes that Marvel and Disney had approached her earlier for Black Widow.
They mention how Fennell "did a great job at fleshing out characters and storylines in a colorful, complex dynamic," when she worked as a writer on the second season of BBC's Killing Eve. She may be busy with Zatanna, but if James Gunn can work for both studios without conflict, anything is possible for Fennell.
Kevin Smith
Perhaps the most famous of all independent filmmakers, Kevin Smith also happens to be a major comic book nerd, having a near-encyclopedic knowledge on almost everything related to Marvel and DC. Because of this, Redditor Thanosfan99 admitted they were "surprised he hasn't been asked" to take part in the MCU yet.
When they asked other users as to what Marvel property Smith should take on if given the chance, the replies mostly included lesser-known characters, varying from Squirrel Girl to Howard the Duck to even Multiple Man. Especially given Smith's occasional involvement with TV shows on the CW like The Flash and Supergirl, it's an ongoing mystery to Smith fans as to why he hasn't been approached for a full-length feature.
Jeremy Saulnier
Probably best known for the intensely disturbing 2016 film Green Room, independent horror director Jeremy Saulnier was named as Redditor KungPowChicken23's top choice for a Doctor Strange movie.
Admiring the high tension and dark humor of his films, the Redditor claims "I think he would do justice to creating a tense character-driven Doctor Strange sequel that pumps some horror octane through your veins." Given how well Sinister director Scott Derrickson handled the first film, and with Sam Raimi directing the sequel, it would be a fitting choice to have another horror director attached to a third film.