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Top 10 superhero movie directors of the decade

By Josh Baggins

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 07: (front L-R) Danai Gurira, Jeremy Renner, Director Anthony Russo, Chris Evans, Director Joe Russo, Brie Larson and Mark Ruffalo, (back L-R) Karen Gillan, Paul Rudd, Scarlett Johansson, President of Marvel Studios/Producer Kevin Feige, Robert Downey Jr., Don Cheadle and Chris Hemsworth onstage during Marvel Studios' "Avengers: Endgame" Global Junket Press Conference at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown on April 7, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 07: (front L-R) Danai Gurira, Jeremy Renner, Director Anthony Russo, Chris Evans, Director Joe Russo, Brie Larson and Mark Ruffalo, (back L-R) Karen Gillan, Paul Rudd, Scarlett Johansson, President of Marvel Studios/Producer Kevin Feige, Robert Downey Jr., Don Cheadle and Chris Hemsworth onstage during Marvel Studios' "Avengers: Endgame" Global Junket Press Conference at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown on April 7, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney) /
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NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 03: Filmmaker Todd Phillips on stage during The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences official Academy screening of “The Joker” at the MoMA, Titus Theater Two on October 3, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Lars Niki/Getty Images for The Academy Of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences )
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 03: Filmmaker Todd Phillips on stage during The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences official Academy screening of “The Joker” at the MoMA, Titus Theater Two on October 3, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Lars Niki/Getty Images for The Academy Of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences ) /

8. Todd Phillips

Directed: Joker (2019)

The most unsuspecting director on this list is Todd Phillips, for mere months ago he had not yet released a superhero movie. He was well-known for raunchy comedies such as Old School and The Hangover trilogy. His filmography includes a couple of duds like School for Scoundrels and Due Date, not to mention two of the three Hangover films. It’s not the first time a director made the jump from comedy to superhero action but, unlike Peyton Reed, who infuses his superhero films with a lot of humor, no one could have expected when Phillips put out Road Trip 20 years ago that he would go on to create one of the darkest comic book adaptations.

His only precursor to this line of filmmaking is the true-crime endeavor War Dogs, which is actually quite entertaining. But when watching Joker, to paraphrase a clichéd movie line, one should forget everything they ever knew about Todd Phillips. The atmosphere is grim and chaotic, and the focus on the protagonist is extremely intense. You might expect a movie like Joker to come from Martin Scorsese, and Phillips is clearly conjuring up the spirit of movies like Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy with its tone, imagery, and themes.

While Phillips’ Joker is not flawless, the most essential part about it is how it mirrors the current state of our society like no other film in recent memory. The rising culture of gun violence by disturbed individuals who threaten America’s sense of stability and security is captured in frightening detail. And just like these madmen are the center of many news stories, the protagonist in Joker is not a superhero at all, but a villain. One who, sadly, we see more of in reality than any other superhero movie protagonist.

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