Over the past 14 years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown into a massive multimedia media franchise that has brought together iconic Marvel superheroes into one shared universe. Beginning with 2008’s Iron Man, the MCU introduced audiences to beloved characters from Marvel Comics through individual films that would soon culminate in 2012’s The Avengers and beyond.
As new characters are welcomed into the expansive cinematic universe, multiple directors have been brought on board to bring their unique style and vision to the MCU. While many of these directors had strong careers before joining the popular franchise, some had humble beginnings as independent filmmakers who found their big break at Marvel.
‘Chef’ (2014) — Jon Favreau
Having started the MCU with 2008’s Iron Man, Jon Favreau is a prominent big-budget director who has excelled both in front of and behind the camera. But after directing many big-budget films, Chef saw Favreau going back to basics in his charming film about Chef Carl Casper (Favreau), who, after losing his job at a prominent Los Angeles Restaurant, begins cooking in a small food truck with his family.
With appearances from notable Marvel actors Scarlett Johansson and Robert Downey Jr., Chef beautifully balances the appeal of big-budget names with a small-scale story with plenty of heart. In many ways, the parallels between Favreau’s career as a director and his character Carl in Chef show the unique charm of going back to basics and finding a new zest for life in the simplest ways.
‘The Nice Guys’ (2016) — Shane Black
Known for his distinctive style and flair for narratives where two unlikely characters become friends and better people along the way, Shane Black went from 2013’s Iron Man 3 to the equally quippy and quirky The Nice Guys.
Following private eye Holland March (Ryan Gosling) and tough enforcer Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) in 1970s Los Angeles, The Nice Guys is a neo-noir buddy action comedy that teams the unlikely duo together to investigate the disappearance of a young woman. Much like Iron Man 3, Black’s The Nice Guys crafts seemingly problematic characters with plenty of genuine flaws and depth that finds a unique balance of comedy and compassion.
‘Super’ (2010) — James Gunn
Before his 2014 Marvel debut, Guardians of the Galaxy, James Gunn had his first foray with the superhero genre with his black comedy Super. After being left by his wife for a drug dealer, Frank Darbo (Rainn Wilson), intent on eradicating the city of crime, transforms himself into the superhero, the “Crimson Bolt.”
Despite not possessing any superhero abilities, the Crimson Bolt masquerades throughout the city, stopping petty theft, drug deals, and people who cut in line at the movies. He is soon accompanied by the local comic book store clerk Libby (Elliot Page) as “Boltie,” and the two become an unlikely duo fighting small-town crime. Much like Guardians of the Galaxy, Super puts together a ragtag group of unlikely superheroes where hidden behind their questionable motives is a big heart.
‘Down with Love’ (2003) — Peyton Reed
With his affinity for comedy, Peyton Reed was precisely the kind of director who could bring the small-scale and underrated superhero Ant-Man to the MCU in his 2015 film Ant-Man. But before his playful take on the incarcerated insect-themed hero, Reed brought his eye for detail and comedic prowess to his romantic comedy Down with Love.
The movie stars Ewan McGregor as Catcher Block, a 1960s playboy. He set out to cause a conspiracy by swindling his way into the love life of renowned feminist advice author Barbara Novak (Renée Zellweger). Reed pastiches many of the tropes of early 1960s romantic comedies, a talent he later brings in his spoofs of the action and crime genres in Ant-Man.
‘Boy’ (2010) — Taika Waititi
As the director notable for bringing a different kind of comedy to the MCU, before Thor: Ragnarok, Taika Waititi had already formed a respectable career as an independent New Zealand filmmaker. With big successes like his 2014 mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows and 2016’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople to his name, Waititi’s earlier films also champion his distinctive comedic style.
Boy follows an 11-year-old named Boy who is growing up in 1980s New Zealand and is obsessed with Michael Jackson. Mixing traditional Māori culture with plenty of pop culture references, Waititi finds the balance between comedy and heart in an endearing tale about family.
‘Fruitvale Station’ (2013) — Ryan Coogler
Before he directed the smash hit Black Panther, Ryan Coogler’s directorial debut Fruitvale Station had already cemented the director as a key figure bringing genuine representation to the cinema.
Based on a true story, Fruitvale Station depicts the last day in the life of Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan) before he was needlessly murdered at the hands of a police officer in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day 2009. A real-life event that spawned multiple protests against racism and police brutality, Coogler’s film is a heartbreaking insight into the injustices faced by the Black community.
‘Cop Car’ (2015) — Jon Watts
Two years before he helped bring Spider-Man to the MCU, Jon Watts directed the 2015 road thriller Cop Car. The movie follows two young boys who steal an abandoned police car, only to be pursued by its murderous owner Sheriff Kretzer (Kevin Bacon).
While Cop Car has an entirely different tone to Watts’ more upbeat Spider-Man trilogy, there are few similarities between the two films. As the two young boys go from a fun joyride to facing the reality of their consequences, Watts has a knack for tales of juveniles finding themselves in dangerous situations.
‘Drag Me to Hell’ (2009) — Sam Raimi
In his return to Marvel, Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness got to showcase Raimi’s distinctly dynamic horror style. While the director had been well-known for his early Spider-Man trilogy starring Tobey Maguire and his campy horror franchise The Evil Dead, Raimi has many lesser-known films that equally show off his distinctive style.
Drag Me to Hell is a supernatural horror film following Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) as a determined career woman trying to make her way up the ladder in her bank loan office. But after being cursed by an elderly woman she had previously denied a loan to, Catherine must face the consequences of her actions as she fights off the evil spirits intent on dragging her to Hell. With its wicked witchcraft and a comically possessed talking goat, it makes perfect sense why Raimi was brought on after Drag Me To Hell to direct the utter mania that is Multiverse of Madness.
‘Short Term 12’ (2002)
Before Destin Daniel Cretton became known for directing the MCU’s first superhero movie with an Asian lead in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Cretton had established his space as a filmmaker working with emotional character-driven stories. Short Term 12 follows Grace (Brie Larson) as a compassionate supervisor working at a foster care facility helping at-risk teenagers.
Beyond its achievements as an empathetic insight into foster care, Short Term 12 also showcases some incredible early performances from actors who became big stars—Rami Malek, Stephanie Beatriz, and Brie Larson, the latter of whom would join the MCU as Captain Marvel.
‘Half Nelson’ (2006) — Ryan Fleck
Helming the first female-led MCU film Captain Marvel, Ryan Fleck had previously collaborated with Captain Marvel co-director Anna Boden in their debut Half Nelson. Following idealistic teacher Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling) dedicated to the junior-high students of his classroom, he secretly leads a life struggling with addiction unknown to his students.
Half Nelson offers an unsentimental portrait of loneliness that is transparent in its truthful depiction of addiction. Fleck and Boden’s segue into blockbusters with Captain Marvel didn’t forgo any of the heart and earnestness they had brought to their earlier films. Their collaborative debut in Half Nelson makes for an underrated first glimpse into these filmmakers’ unique and emotional style.
