Who Are The Directors Taking Charge Of The MCU's Phase 4 Movies?

Despite numerous delays in release dates caused by lockdown measures around the world, Marvel Studios' plans for the future are in full swing as they finalise who will be leading their upcoming wave of movies from behind the cameras.

Sam Raimi recently confirmed that he has agreed to direct the Doctor Strange sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. He almost completes the line-up of directors for the six films in Phase Four, the next stage of the ever-expanding superhero series, following the momentous success of 'Avengers: Endgame' last year, which became the highest-grossing film of all time, and the conclusion of its 23-film Infinity Saga.

While Raimi is considered a familiar face to fans of the genre, having helmed Sony's first Spider-Man trilogy in the 2000s, starring Tobey Maguire, some of the other names who do not have as much experience directing such blockbusters are less well known among comic-book and film enthusiasts.

Here's a lowdown on the personnel in control of the movie parts of the world's biggest franchise over the next few years and an overview of their careers so far...

All MCU fans are eagerly anticipating Black Widow, the first instalment of Phase Four, which is set to hit cinemas in November, more than a year after its most recent release, Spider-Man: Far From Home. The film, with its female-led cast, will be helmed by a female director in the form of Cate Shortland.

Australian Shortland worked in TV in her homeland for the early part of her career. Alongside a number of award-winning short films, she only has a handful of cinematic releases to date. Some of her films are strikingly different from those the MCU's fans are used to - romantic and historical dramas like 2012's Lore. However, others - such as her latest feature, Berlin Syndrome - prove that she is capable of producing thrillers also. It's likely that it was this type of work which would have convinced those calling the shots at Marvel Studios that she was the right woman for the job.

It's also worth noting that, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the film's star, Scarlett Johansson, had a big influence on the decision to hire Shortland. Other indie, female directors, including Carrie (2013)'s Kimberly Peirce and Amma Asante (who recently directed an episode of The Handmaid's Tale), were reportedly considered by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, but Johansson was apparently impressed by the 51-year-old's presentation of the female leads in her previous projects.