Summary
While theMCUcontinues to figure out its creative direction forAvengers 5, the best directors for the film beat Marvel at its own game two years ago. Marvel has been searching for a director to helmtheAvengers 5moviesince Destin Daniel Cretton left the project in 2023. Rumors have pointed toDoctor Strange 2’s Sam Raimi orDeadpool & Wolverine’s Shawn Levy, but it looks like Marvel is reuniting with two familiar faces. Reports have stated that theRusso Brothers are in talks with Marvelto return forAvengers 5, making them the prospective top pick for the job.
Anthony and Joe Russo are the directors behindAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgame, along withCaptain America: The Winter SoldierandCaptain America Civil War. All four films received critical acclaim andgrossed over $6 billion at the worldwide box office. It’s a safe choice to return to a directing team that’s created so much success for the studio, but the Russo Brothers haven’t explored the multiverse yet. As such, Marvel should consider hiring The Daniels, who’ve already proved they’re masters of the multiverse withEverything Everywhere All At Once.
Everything Everywhere All At Once Portrayed The Multiverse Better Than Doctor Strange 2
Doctor Strange 2 Got Outdone By An A24 Gem
In 2022, Marvel ventured into the multiverse inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. While the film was a box office hit, it did have several criticisms, including its shockingly limited exploration of the multiverse. Besides one sequence where Doctor Strange and America Chavez jumped through several bizarre and creative worlds, the film mainly stayed in one alternate universe with minimal changes. It featured things like pizza balls and opposite stoplights, which didn’t do enough to showcase the endless possibilities of the multiverse forthe MCU timeline.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessalso had unfortunate timing, as it debuted a month afterEverything Everywhere All At Once, a film that brilliantly showed the creative possibilities of the multiverse. It’s a thematically rich story that still features some strange universes, with one giving everyone hot dog fingers, and another making its inhabitants googly-eyed rocks. It also explores how people can connect to their alternate selves, and how common traits of humanity remain similar throughout the multiverse. It was more creative thanDoctor Strange 2, but it also told a more relevant and emotional story.
The Daniels Are Proven Academy Award-Winning Directors
Everything Everywhere All At Once Took Home Several Academy Awards
Despite debuting in March 2022,Everything Everywhere All At Oncetook home a number of 2023 Academy Awards. The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, and won seven, including Best Actress for Michelle Yeoh, Best Supporting Actor for Ke Huy Quan, Best Supporting Actress for Jamie Lee Curtis, and Best Film Editing. The Daniels won three times; as producers for Best Picture, as directors for Best Director, and as writers for Best Original Screenplay, proving they are a triple threat.
Marvel hiring award-winning talent isn’t always a recipe for success. The studio hired Chloé Zhao to directEternalsfresh off her Best Picture win forNomadland, butEternalswasn’t the critical darling that had perhaps been hoped for. However, The Daniels proved they could handle action and spectacle, with well-choreographed fight scenes and creative set pieces inEverything Everywhere. They also can write likable characters and tear-jerking moments that Marvel needs to get audiences invested in the universe once more.
The Daniels Are Already In Disney’s Creative House
The Daniels Are Attached To An Upcoming Star Wars Series
It could be easy for Marvel to get The Daniels, as the directing duo is already in Disney’s creative house. The pair are directing two episodes ofSkeleton Crew, the upcomingStar Warsseries starring Jude Law.Disney has proven it likes to hire creative talent from within, with talents like Jon Favreau, Shawn Levy, and Taika Waititi bouncing around between Marvel and Star Wars. It’s proven successful, with Favreau kickstarting the MCU withIron Man, and then bringing Star Wars to life on Disney+ withThe Mandalorian.
According to an interview withIndiewire, Marvel reached out to The Daniels to directLoki, but the pair turned it down, as they were already makingEverything Everywhere All At Onceand didn’t want to take on another multiverse project.Avengers 5is the ultimate beast of multiverse projects, but The Daniels have proved they can handle it, and it would be a smart move to bring their excellent writing and directing abilities to the MCU when it desperately needs reliable talent for such a major release.
