Since it was first established way back in 2008, the MCU hasproduced a total of 33 feature films, all of varying qualities. Over the past 15 years, the franchise has also welcomed a wide range of talent both on screen and behind the camera and, in some cases, has acted as a platform to introduce them to a wider audience.
For directors, taking on a Marvel project is a big challenge: they have to ensure their entry comfortably fits within the wider franchise, both in terms of narrative and tone, while also retaining some of their own distinctive filmmaking styles. It's a challenge that not every director can pull off, and, indeed, some MCU directors have proven to be better at it than others. So, with that in mind, here's a look at the best MCU movie directors, ranked.
Update December 30, 2023: This article has been updated with more information about the best directors in the MCU history, as well as future updates within the franchise.
8 Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck — Captain Marvel
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck have been working together as a filmmaking duo ever since their university years when they bonded over the works of Robert Altman. As a partnership, they have directed multiple films, including the 2006 drama Half Nelson and 2015's Mississipi Grind. However, it's the duo's collaborative work on the 2019 MCU movie, Captain Marvel that they are best known for. The film, which follows Carol Danvers as she tries to piece together her past following an accident that left her with superhuman powers as well as memory loss, was a box office success, earning an impressive $1.1 billion at the worldwide box office.
Why They Make the List
Like most other Marvel films, Captain Marvel is full of bright, eye-catching visuals and adrenaline-filled action sequences. However, what makes the film stand out when compared to others in the franchise, is how personal and intimate the story is. As displayed in their previous works, particularly Half Nelson and 2008's Sugar, Boden and Fleck thrive when it comes to character studies. They know how to take a damaged, lost, or pained character on a journey of self-discovery. Despite Captain Marvel being a big-budget superhero film set on multiple planets and featuring a clash between warring alien races, the duo's approach is no different from any of their other works. It's about one woman lost in the universe trying to find her way again. It's this simple approach that made Boden and Fleck the right people for the job.
7 Taika Waititi — Thor: Ragnarok, Thor: Love and Thunder
Where to even start with Taika Waititi? In the last ten years, the New Zealand-born filmmaker, actor, and comedian has made a name for himself as one of the busiest men in Hollywood. His early features include the comedy-dramas Boy and Hunt for the Wilderpeople, as well as the 2014 horror comedy mockumentary, What We Do in the Shadows, all of which were met with critical acclaim. Following mainstream success, Waititi wrote, directed, and starred in the 2019 black comedy Jojo Rabbit, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Known for his quirky and offbeat style, Waititi was exactly the breath of fresh air that the Thor series needed when it came to making the third film in the franchise, Thor: Ragnarok.
Why He Makes the List
After the disappointingly dull and serious tone of Thor: The Dark World, Thor Ragnarok, with its light and silly tone, bright pallet, and wacky humor, was what the series needed to get back on track. And it's all down to Waititi. The director had a clear vision for the film and knew how to get the most fun out of the character of Thor himself. It was a risk, but one that, thankfully, paid off. Part of why it worked was because, not only was the film big on laughs, but it was big on heart as well, which proved to be the perfect mixture. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for its follow-up, Thor: Love and Thunder, which, among other things, relied too heavily on silly gags and kooky moments to be anywhere near as good as its predecessor. Ultimately, even great directors can make bad films, and Waititi still remains one of the most inventive filmmakers working today.
6 Jon Favreau — Iron Man, Iron Man 2
When it comes to talent, Jon Favreau has more than his fair share. Not only is he a highly regarded director, but also a writer, actor, and producer as well, all skills that he has put to use in the MCU. As a performer, he has appeared in many hit movies, including the biographical sports drama Rudy, 2003's Daredevil, and the 2006 rom-com, The Break-Up. Additionally, he has appeared as the character of Happy Hogan in the MCU no less than ten times. Meanwhile as a director, Favreau has helmed projects including Elf, Chef, and 2019's The Lion King. It's his work on the first two Iron Man films that he is best known for, though.
Why He Makes the List
It would almost be criminal not to include Favreau on this list. After all, he's the man responsible for Iron Man, the first installment in what would later become known as the MCU and without him, who knows if the franchise would be what it is today. What is certain, is that, with Favreau's steady hand at the wheel, Iron Man wasa clever and highly entertaining slice of superhero fun thatrewrote the genre. With unique action, refreshing visuals, and a stellar lead performance by Robert Downey Jr., the film was a hit with both critics and audiences, and it's Favreau who plays the largest role in its success. The film's follow-up, Iron Man 2, failed to live up to its predecessor but, nevertheless, still managed to build on the charm and thrills of the first one.
5 Chloé Zhao — Eternals
Having won the Academy Award for Best Directorfor her work on 2021's Nomadland, only the second woman to ever win the award, Chloé Zhao is arguably the most accomplished filmmaker to helm a Marvel project. Prior to her Oscar success, Zhao wrote, directed, and produced the coming-of-age drama Songs My Brothers Taught Me, as well as the 2017 Western film The Rider, both of which were met with critical acclaim. It's hardly surprising then that, with a string of successes under her belt, Zhao would attract Marvel's attention. Set in the MCU, 2021's Eternals follows a group of ancient cosmic beings who, after being in hiding for thousands of years, finally reemerge to protect the earth from a new threat. Overall, it received mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike.
Why She Makes the List
Eternals is far from the best film in the MCU. It's clunky, overly serious, and suffers from some major pacing issues, not to mention the fact that it has far too many characters to feel invested in any one of them. However, despite all of that, there's actually a lot to like about the film, and most of it is down to Zhao's impressive direction. With its stunning vistas and ambitious scope, Eternals is easily the best-looking entry in the franchise. Unlike most superhero films of the last decade, it was largely shot on location, which, like Nomadland, not only results in some gorgeously dramatic backdrops but also helps to convey the scale and epicness of the story while simultaneously helping it to feel intimate. It's a beautifully shot and elegantly directed film that's, unfortunately, let down by a weak script and a lack of focus. It would be interesting to see what else Zhao has to offer the MCU.
4 Anthony and Joe Russo — Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame
Thanks to their MCU projects, Joe Russo and Anthony Russo are the second most commercially successful directors ever, just after Steven Spielberg. In total, they have directed four movies in the franchise: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019), all of which are closely treasured by the fandom. Prior to their MCU success, the duo worked on television series such as Arrested Development and Community, the former of which earned them a Primetime Emmy Award.
Why They Make the List
Like Jon Favreau, it would almost be madness not to list The Russo Brothers as some of the best directors in the MCU. After all, they are not only the most prolific (their record of four titles still yet to be beaten) but also the most commercially and critically successful. With Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the pair set a new standard for MCU films and, in doing so, crafted a suspenseful and action-packed spy thriller that competes with some of the best in the genre. They followed this up with Captain America: Civil War, which displayed their ability to juggle an ensemble cast of many characters. They were, therefore, the obvious choice to helm the third and fourth Avengers films, Infinity War and Endgame, both of which could've so easily crumbled under the weight of expectation, but with The Russos's passion and knowledge of the characters and a clear vision in mind, both are viewed by many as two of the best superhero movies of all time.
3 Jon Watts — Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Spider-Man: No Way Home
Jon Watts is one of the few people (along with James Gunn and Peyton Reed) to complete a full trilogy of films within the MCU, having directed each and every installment in the Spider-Man movies, which see Tom Holland in the title role. A dream job for the filmmaker, Watts is said to have bombarded Marvel with requests to direct a Spider-Man film, having had a clear vision of what his version of one would look like for many years. A director of music videos since the early 2000s, Watts was the man behind the camera for videos by artists such as Fatboy Slim and Switchfoot, before he made his feature film debut with the 2014 horror, Clown. He followed this up with the 2015 thriller, Cop Car, which stars Kevin Bacon.
Why He Makes the List
In the fifteen years prior to 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming, audiences had already sat through five live action Spider-Man films, all of varying quality. Watts' take on the famous comic book hero, therefore, had to stand out. And stand out it did. With Homecoming, the director cleverly created a John Hughes-esque coming-of-age high school film merged with a traditional superhero caper. It was a genius move, and one that resulted in a light and highly enjoyable small-stakes adventure that offered a unique take on the character. Though Homecoming's sequels, 2019's Far From Home and 2021's No Way Home increasingly moved away from the coming-of-age framework they, nevertheless, retained the first one's gentle humor, thrilling action, and sense of fun. All three are some of the MCU's best entries, but without Watts in charge, it could've been a totally different story.
2 Ryan Coogler — Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
At the tender age of just 31, Ryan Coogler became the youngest person to direct an MCU project when he took on 2018's Black Panther. By that point in his still blossoming career, the filmmaker had already been included in TIME's 30 People under 30 list in 2013 and won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival for his feature debut, the biographical drama Fruitvale Station.Coogler gained wider attention in 2016 when he wrote and directed Creed, the seventh installment in the Rocky series, which garnered critical acclaim. However, it's his work on the Black Panther films that the director is most famous for.
Why He Makes the List
The first Black Panther film became a cultural phenomenon when it was released in theaters in 2018 and went on to make a staggering $1.3 billion at the worldwide box office. The film's success isn't without merit. It's a magnificently crafted movie that manages to balance weighty themes and mature storytelling with light-hearted superhero fun. Despite the film being a crowd-pleasing big-budget blockbuster, Coogler tackles the subjects of race and inequality with more nuance and pathos than the rest of the other MCU films combined. It's impressive, particularly for someone who was still young and relatively inexperienced at the time. Though Black Panther: Wakanda Forever couldn't live up to its predecessor, the superhero sequel is, nevertheless, still an impressive display of Coogler's world-building, stylistic, and storytelling talents.
1 James Gunn — Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 3
Potentially controversial, the best director to have worked in the MCU isthe one behind the franchise's strongest trilogy, James Gunn.Responsible for writing and directing all three Guardians of the Galaxy films, Gunn pulled off the almost impossible when he turned a ragtag group of little-known comic book characters into a financially and critically successful film series. Starting his career as a screenwriter back in 1990s, Gunn worked on projects such as the live-action Scooby-Doo films and 2004's Dawn of the Dead, before making his directorial debut with the 2006 science-fiction comedy Slither. The filmmaker's 2010 superhero comedy, Super, which stars Rainn Wilson as a wannabe superhero lacking the right skills, was what ultimately led to Gunn directing the first Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014.
Why He Makes the List
Even more impressive than the fact that Gunn transformed a niche comic book title into a household name, is that he managed to do so while still retaining one hundred percent of his own distinctive style. When the first Guardians film hit theaters, its mixture of zany comedy, lovable characters, and plenty of heart, felt fresh and like nothing audiences had ever seen before. While MCU films had also had their fair share of gags, the first Guardians film had the ability to make its audiences laugh hysterically one minute, then tear up the next. Amazingly, Gunn managed to follow up the original with two worthy sequels, 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2, and 2023's Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 3, both of which help to form a consistently strong trilogy filled with bright visuals, three-dimensional characters, and plenty of laughs. Gunn has gone on to bigger things with his position as co-chairman of DC Studios, but it will take a lot for him to beat his work in the MCU.
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