10 Directors Who Would Be Perfect For Man Of Steel 2

Man of Steel was far from a flop back in 2013, but it still didn't perform anywhere near as strongly as Warner Bros. was hoping in terms of reviews or at the box office. That, perhaps, at least partially explains why the studio has decided to turn what was going to be the movie's sequel into a Justice League prequel and a film set to feature Superman coming to blows with Batman on the big screen for the very first time. However, the plus side to the lack of Man of Steel 2 is the fact that Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is going to launch the DC Extended Universe, leading to characters like Aquaman, The Flash and Wonder Woman all getting their own movies. When Warner Bros. announced their DC Comics slate, neither Batman nor Superman movie were given release dates, but it was promised that they would both return in solo outings. As of right now, they both remain undated, but there's been a lot of talk lately about Man of Steel 2 finally becoming a reality at some point in the next few years. If that is the case, who should take the helm of it? Zack Snyder is currently finishing Batman V Superman and will then jump into two Justice League movies, and while he could then return to Superman, it's far more likely that the studio will find someone else. Who should that filmmaker be? Here, you will find just ten of the best possible options for who Warner Bros. should choose to helm Man of Steel 2. 10) David Leitch And Chad Stahelski David Leitch and Chad Stahelski created something truly special with John Wick, and while it's a shame that they've now gone their separate ways (Leitch is set to tackle The Coldest City, while Stahelski will return for the sequel), you have to believe that there's a chance they'll re-team in the future. If they do, then a superhero movie would be ideal for these guys, and Superman is one of the most interesting possibilities. Say what you will about Man of Steel, but Zack Snyder really delivered when it came to action, and these guys know that realm very well indeed. After dealing with a world ending threat in the first movie, Superman having a slightly more grounded adventure would be no bad thing, and Leitch and Stahelski are arguably the ideal candidates to do that, especially as it would mean the sequel dials it back a little on the special effects. After all, parts of Man of Steel kind of ended up looking like a video game cutscene. 9) Michelle MacLaren Michelle MacLaren was supposed to direct Wonder Woman, but creative differences led to her deciding to part ways with Warner Bros. That quite possibly reduces her chances of being considered for the Man of Steel sequel, but the studio must have seen something special in the Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones vet to entrust her with Wonder Woman's first big screen adventure. Given her lack of blockbuster experience, it's hard to pinpoint exactly what MacLaren would bring to the table, but her work on the shows mentioned above was phenomenal, so her involvement would certainly be well worth getting excited about. Man of Steel was a solid origin story for Clark Kent, but it had a lot of issues, and Superman needs a stronger storyteller next time (it's not hard to see why David Goyer was replaced for Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice), and with the right script, MacLaren could really do wonders with the property. 8) F. Gary Gray Before Straight Outta Compton, F. Gary Gray's IMDb page didn't exactly made for a great read. With titles like The Italian Job, Be Cool and Law Abiding Citizen, it's fair to say that not a lot of fans would be excited about the prospect of him taking the helm of a superhero movie. However, none of those had the strong scripts that Universal's biopic did, so it seems fair to say that Gray could deliver something special with Superman. After all, whatever downsides the releases listed above had, there's no denying that the action sequences in them were strong, and the director's ability to tell a story has now been proven. Ultimately, his biggest test will be the upcoming Furious 8. If he's able to maintain the quality of the incredible set pieces they've become known for and keep the tone which had made them a success, then it will be hard to not want to see him given a chance with a comic book movie. After all, Marvel eyed the director for Black Panther, so at least one studio thinks he's a strong enough filmmaker to handle a superhero flick. 7) Bennett Miller After the likes of Capote, Moneyball and Foxcatcher, it's fair to say that Bennett Miller has yet to make a bad movie. A superhero property is obviously a huge departure from those, but he would be far from the first filmmaker to make an unexpected jump to the superhero relm. Just look at the success Kenneth Branagh found with Thor. The kind of writers and directors Warner Bros. has been approaching for their DC Extended Universe movies point to them wanting to take a smarter and darker approach to this world, following the mixed response to Man of Steel, and someone like Miller perfectly fits the bill. His films are well crafted and carefully made, and he would be an amazing choice to take Superman and deliver a really intelligent blockbuster which could modernize the Man of Steel and paint him in a whole new light. Zack Snyder did that too to some extent, but the movie at times felt like a bit of a Nolan knock-off. 6) Brad Bird Tomorrowland may have ended up being a crushing disappointment, but it still had its moments, and you can at least see and appreciate what Brad Bird was trying to achieve with it. Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol, on the other hand, was an incredible movie, and it features some of the best action sequences that we've seen in some time. His work in the superhero genre (even if it wasn't a comic book adaptation) with The Incredibles also speaks for itself, and Bird taking the helm of an actual superhero movie is long overdue. I mentioned that Man of Steel occasionally felt like it was borrowing too much from Christopher Nolan's work on Batman Begins - that's likely down to Goyer - so someone coming along and offering a lighter and more optimistic take on Superman would be a big plus for the franchise. Thankfully, Bird fits the bill perfectly in that respect, and his take on Superman could actually end up giving us the definitive version of the hero. 5) Kathryn Bigelow Kathryn Bigelow's name has been put forward for any number of superhero movies over the years, but whether or not the woman responsible for The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty would ever say yes is another matter. Warner Bros. offering up one of their most iconic superheroes might just be enough though, and regardless of whether we're talking in terms of action or story, Bigelow is someone who could very well take this franchise and turn it into the next Dark Knight trilogy. Man of Steel only really flirted with the politics which would surround the arrival of a being like Superman on Earth, and while Batman V Superman looks set to expand on that through Senate hearings and the like, there's still room for the idea to be further explored in this sequel. It's that which could attract a filmmaker like Bigelow to the property, and it's an angle which would be a very unique and interesting place to take a character like Superman. 4) Baltasar Kormákur After movies like Contraband and 2 Guns, Baltasar Kormákur is definitely a director who knows all about mixing a solid story with strong action scenes. Neither of those scream Superman of course, but the epic sweeping visuals in Everest point to him having an eye for the kind of effects and scope a big scale superhero movie like Man of Steel 2 would need to have. That's one of the things which makes the character stand out from the likes of Batman and Wonder Woman; Superman is almost God like, and it's not hard to picture Kormákur taking the hero and placing him in a very different type of visually stunning setting, especially when you look back at the vastly different kind of worlds he's explored in past releases. Looks aside though, and he's also someone who could ground Superman's story in some ways, telling a more personal tale in which the fate of the entire world wouldn't necessarily have to be on the line. 3) Alfonso Cuarón Since directing the masterpiece that was Gravity,Alfonso Cuarón has been oddly silent. What's next for the man who also helmed the best Harry Potter movie remains to be seen, but a superhero movie would be very cool. I've talked a lot here about the possibility of grounding Superman, but why not take things in the opposite direction and send the iconic hero into outer space? Man of Steel 2 shouldn't basically be Gravity 2 of course, but the point is that it's a realm in which the director has already done some amazing things, so you just know that him sending Superman into outer space could have some amazing results and lead to a very unique movie. As awesome as the action scenes in Man of Steel were, can you imagine what kind of awe inspiring scenes Alfonso Cuarón could deliver through the use of his signature tracking shots? That alone makes the prospect of him potentially taking the helm of the sequel very exciting indeed. 2) J.J. Abrams It's entirely possible that J.J. Abrams would have taken the helm of all three of the new Star Wars movies given the chance, but the fact that Disney has decided to shoot them in London (and pretty much back to back) has seen the LA based filmmaker decide to move on after The Force Awakens. What his next project will be remains to be seen, but with the success he's found both in the past and no doubt with this upcoming release, you have to believe that he'll be able to do anything and everything he chooses. Plus, after diving into the worlds of Star Wars and Star Trek, a comic book adaptation feels like a natural next step for Abrams. He actually came very close to making a Superman movie a number of years ago, and if he comes calling at Warner Bros., they'd surely welcome him with open arms. Oh, and just imagine for a moment the kind of visuals Abrams would deliver with a character like Superman (and please, no lens flare jokes!). 1) George Miller George Miller has been rumoured to be in the running to take the helm of the Man of Steel sequel for a while now, and while the director has flat out denied those reports, it's not exactly difficult to understand why that might be the case. Mad Max: Fury Road was an incredible movie, and no doubt one of the all-time great entries into the action genre. His past work is also no doubt excellent, but it's this release which has really brought the filmmaker to the attention of superhero fans in a major way. Of course, it's not like he's a stranger to this realm, especially after he very nearly ended up taking the helm of a fully motion capture Justice League movie a few years back. A writer's strike brought an end to that one, but the DC Universe is somewhere Miller has spent a lot of time in, so you have to believe he has some great ideas for Superman, and the kind of action sequences he'd have in store for us would no doubt be mind-blowing.