1. Ang Lee
One of the most consistent and talented directors working today, Ang Lee is also one of the most versatile. A career built on tackling multiple genres has seen him take on everything from Jane Austen adaptations to Marvel superheroes, with his most recent effort Life of Pi taking over $600m at the box office and landing him a second Academy Award for Best Director. Rumored to be in the running for Bond 24 before Sam Mendes opted to return, hopefully Lee will be granted an opportunity to make his first action blockbuster when the franchise is next on the lookout for a new director. As well as being one of cinema's great visual stylists, each of Lee's efforts are equally focused on story and character whether it happens to be a suburban drama (The Ice Storm), a Civil War movie (Ride with the Devil), a forbidden romance (Brokeback Mountain) or an explicit thriller (Lust, Caution). Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hulk provided glimpses into the director's ability to handle action, which is the only real question mark surrounding his suitability for the stunt-heavy franchise. If ever there was an untested action director with which to trust your franchise, you could do a lot worse than Ang Lee.