Courtesy of Marvel Studios
Marvel won Comic-Con with their big announcements, including Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. A few days after the announcements, it was announced that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton will direct Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, but not Avengers: Secret Wars. Marvel seems to be handling the direction of their next Avengers films differently than Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame where Joe and Anthony Russo directed both films. It’s unknown if the director for Avengers: Secret Wars will be announced at D23 in September or after that. In the meantime, here are my picks for who should direct the sixth Avengers film.
1. Ryan Coogler
Ryan Coogler is known for directing Black Panther and the upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Similar to the Russo brothers, Coogler did well in establishing a serious tone in his Marvel movie and looks to continue that in his next film based on the recent trailer. His villain Killmonger is also one of the best MCU villains so far. Coogler also did this well in the Rocky spinoff film Creed. Avengers: Secret Wars is going to be a big event film that will likely have many serious moments and needs a director that can establish that. Depending on how well Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is received and how successful it is at the box office, Coogler should be a contender for the job.
2. Jon Watts
Jon Watts is coming off the biggest Spider-Man film ever made and the highest grossing film since the Pandemic in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Watts did a great job of bringing back former Spider-Man stars Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, Andrew Garfield, and Jamie Foxx and telling a multiverse story. Avengers: Secret Wars will not only have a lot of characters, possibly from other Marvel franchises but also be a multiverse big event film. Watts also directed Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home, both of which are smaller-scale MCU films, but got a great reception from audiences and critics and both did well at the box office. Each of his Spider-Man movies had great villains as well. Watts was supposed to direct Fantastic Four, but pulled out due to wanting a break from superhero films, but maybe he will change his mind since the film is not coming out until 2025.
3. The Russo Brothers (Joe and Anthony Russo)
The Russo Brothers have directed four well-received MCU films, including Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Their other known projects are Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War. They have experience with directing Avengers movies with big stakes, managing a big cast and balancing out who gets more screen time. They also know how to make a serious film because all four of their MCU films are some of the darkest MCU films so far. Kevin Feige stated the Russo brothers will not be directing as of right now, but they have shown interest in returning, and Marvel is known for lying about stuff to try and hide it.
4. Destin Daniel Cretton
Destin Daniel Cretton made a great film in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, giving us great action and a balance of serious and funny moments. He has the same balance as Ryan Coogler and the Russo Brothers when it comes to having different tones. He will also be directing the film that will set up Avengers: Secret Wars in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, which is coming out months before. At the same time, he has other Marvel projects coming up in Shang-Chi 2 and for Disney +, Wonder Man, which might be why he is only directing one Avengers film. Still, he should be considered as a contender for director, and it is always possible the other projects may not come out until after both Avengers movies.
All in all, these directors are, in my opinion, the best qualified for Avengers: Secret Wars. I am confident that whether it is any of them or someone else, Kevin Feige and his team will find the right director. Avengers: Secret Wars is currently scheduled for November 7, 2025.
Who do you want to direct Avengers: Secret Wars? Let us know in the comments down below.
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