8 Directors Who Can Replace Bryan Singer And Save The X-Men Franchise

Following the critical and commercial success of X-Men: Days of Future Past, pretty much everyone expected X-Men: Apocalypse to be every bit as big, with many predicting it would become the first instalment of the franchise to reach that coveted $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office. Shockingly, things didn't quite pan out like that, and after mixed reviews, the movie looks set to end up grossing hundreds of millions of dollars less than its predecessor. Personally, I loved X-Men: Apocalypse, but it's easy enough to understand the complaints, particularly those which have said Bryan Singer's vision for these characters is out of date. Regardless of whether or not that's a statement you agree with, X-Men: Apocalypse did in many ways feel like a step back to the superhero movies of the mid-2000s compared to what Marvel Studios has delivered in recent years. For fans of this franchise and Singer, that's not the end of the world, but moviegoers seem to have had enough. So, which filmmakers out there are the best candidates to take the X-Men in a bold new direction, and dare I say it, save the franchise? Well, here are our picks. Some are a bit out there, but as always, let us know if you agree or not in the comments section below. 8) Steven S. DeKnight Steven S. DeKnight did what many thought impossible when he successfully rebooted Daredevil, but what's interesting about that is the episode he directed (the finale) felt really out of place when compared to the previous instalments. It was by no means bad, far from it in fact, but it felt a little too comic book-y for the tone that the series had established up to that point. However, DeKnight approaching X-Men in a similar fashion would actually be a good thing, and if he can steer The Man Without Fear successfully through twelve hours of TV, chances are that the director and self confessed comic book fan could do the same for these characters. The filmmaker has been hired to direct Pacific Rim 2, but with little to no movement on that front, X-Men could very well be something he works on before cameras start rolling on that long delayed sequel. 7) Lexi Alexander Punisher: War Zone was a pretty divisive movie, but despite its many faults, Lexi Alexander deserves a massive amount of credit for bringing such a comic book accurate Frank Castle to life on the big screen. The episodes of Arrow and Supergirl she's directed this year were among some of 2016's best DC TV offerings too, so another crack at a superhero movie feels long overdue for the filmmaker at this stage. Provided she's given a strong script to work with, it's easy to imagine Alexander coming up with something very exciting and unique for the X-Men, and her involvement would no doubt shake up the franchise in a big way. It's worth noting that the audience for X-Men: Apocalypse during its opening weekend was very male skewed, so it would be great to see Alexander change that by perhaps putting a greater focus on some new female characters rather than the usual suspects we've grown used to seeing in these movies over the years. 6) Rupert Wyatt Rise of the Planet of the Apes director Rupert Wyatt was supposed to helm Gambit, but creative differences with Fox led to him departing the project (which, as a result, is no longer being released this year). However, assuming the director still has a good relationship with them and both parties can move past those issues, him taking the helm of the next X-Men movie could work out really well. Wyatt has actually been something of a fan-favourite choice to do so for years now, and if he can successfully reboot a franchise which was as stale as Planet of the Apes, you have to believe that he would be able to muster up a fresh new take on the X-Men which reignites interest in the franchise. He's already made a mark in Hollywood, but a superhero movie may be what helps really put him on the map. 5) Matthew Vaughn When the X-Men franchise needed saving after disappointments like The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, it was Matthew Vaughn who essentially came in and rescued it. While First Class wasn't a massive hit (no doubt because moviegoers had been scared off by releases like the ones mentioned above), it restored our faith in the characters and set the stage for new and exciting adventures with a brand new cast in a unique setting. Vaughn being the one to come in and take that young team of mutants introduced in X-Men: Apocalypse into the present day would feel extremely appropriate then, and the Kick-Ass helmer once again giving this franchise a knock up the backside is arguably exactly what it needs. Whether he wants to is another matter, though his decision to return to the world of Kingsman for The Golden Circle proves that he's not necessarily against sequels. 4) F. Gary Gray After helming Oscar favourite (despite it being snubbed by the Academy) Straight Outta Compton, F. Gary Gray is currently hard at work on a very different kind of movie with Fast and Furious 8. It's going to be interesting seeing how he handles the high octane and crazy action that franchise has become known for, but assuming he manages to successfully follow in the footsteps of those who have come before him, a superhero movie may very well be the logical next step for the director. If Fox is looking to bring a sense of fun back to the X-Men franchise, it's fair to say that Gray can more than likely deliver while also maintaining the same sort of serious dramatic stakes the franchise has become known for under Singer's watch. While that may not sound all that different to what's happening with these movies now, hiring Gray would definitely feel like some much needed fresh blood has been added to the franchise. 3) Drew Goddard Drew Goddard has had a weird couple of years. Hired by Marvel to direct and executive produce Daredevil, the filmmaker decided to step away from the Netflix series in order to concentrate on Sony's Sinister Six spinoff. The dismal performance of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 killed that spinoff and landed the wall-crawler in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so now Goddard has been left without either of these high profile Marvel adaptations. Chances are then that he would jump at the opportunity to work on the X-Men, and having proven himself capable as both a writer and director, him taking on dual roles here would be no bad thing. With Goddard at the helm, we could very well see these characters go back to their comic book roots. Why? Well, based on comments he's made about the other superhero projects he's worked, it's clear that the filmmaker is a fan at heart. 2) Edgar Wright Edgar Wright obviously came very close to directing a superhero movie with Ant-Man, but creative differences with Marvel Studios saw the British director walk away from the project. Assuming Fox can back off and give the man responsible for gems like Shaun of the Dead and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World the space he needs, he could very well come up with an X-Men movie which takes this franchise in an exciting new direction. That would no doubt particularly be the case in terms of visuals, while Wright's well-known love of silver age comic books (which heavily influenced his Ant-Man screenplay) could bring a classic sensibility to the franchise which it's arguably always been missing. If they can talk him into it, nabbing Wright would be a massive victory for Fox, and fans would definitely get on board with him being at the helm, something the studio could do with after the mixed reaction to X-Men: Apocalypse. 1) Joss Whedon This may be wishful thinking, but it's hard to imagine anyone better suited to reinvigorating the world of the X-Men than the man who brought The Avengers to the big screen. While we already know that Joss Whedon's next project is going to be much more personal and smaller movie, the filmmaker eventually being tempted back into the blockbuster realm feels inevitable. How happy Marvel Studios would be about this is hard to say, but Whedon has a history with these characters - he penned an amazing 25 issue run of Astonishing X-Men - and a proven track record of knowing how best to handle both them and superheroes in general. Whedon taking the helm - and hopefully writing - the X-Men: Apocalypse sequel would truly take this franchise to the next level and be a dream come true for fans. Fingers crossed, eh?