Over the years, comic book films haven't managed to really shirk behind the scenes drama. Patty Jenkins famously departed Thor: The Dark World a few years back, Edgar Wright dropped out of Marvel's Ant-Man, and the path to Matt Reeves' Batman reboot has been anything but smooth.
While these examples illustrate that both Marvel and DC are no strangers to behind-the-scenes controversy or critically poor releases, it's also true that both companies have produced some truly inspired directorial choices in recent years. Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman shone, and the MCU continues to reach new critical heights under the stewardship of Joe and Anthony Russo.
They exemplify how directors can really elevate a project for the better, and with Creed's Ryan Coogler inevitably guiding Black Panther to critical and commercial stardom, both companies have an eye for what does and doesn't fit their universes. David Ayer aside.
It’s not just the big two either: Neil Marshall’s involvement in the upcoming Hellboy reboot makes perfect sense, given his horror credentials.
But what of those up and coming features? Who would best suit them?
WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well.
In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.
