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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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LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 04: Director Ryan Coogler attends the 19th Annual AFI Awards at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on January 4, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for AFI)
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 04: Director Ryan Coogler attends the 19th Annual AFI Awards at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on January 4, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for AFI) /

7. Ryan Coogler

Directed: Black Panther (2018)

Ryan Coogler centers his stories around black culture and societies and that includes, at least partially, injustice and indignation. His first feature takes us through the final hours of an unarmed black man who was shot and killed by a white police officer, and his second outing turned a famous boxing franchise about an Italian American hero into one about an African-American underdog. Both Fruitvale Station and Creed starred Michael B. Jordan, and Coogler would bring his partner along for his most important project, Black Panther.

Coogler didn’t only hire a predominantly black cast and crew, he hired the best men and women for the job. After Creed was in the middle of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy (Sylvester Stallone received the only nod despite the movie’s extensive African-American talent) Black Panther became the first superhero film to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, while Ruth Carter was the first African American to win Best Costume Design and Hannah Beachler became the first African American to win Best Production Design. And even before the awards came flowing in, the film was a cultural phenomenon at the box office.

Black Panther isn’t the first black superhero on the big screen, but as the king of an African nation, he quickly became the most idolized. And none of this would have happened without Coogler’s meticulous representation of the people, the country, and the culture in every aspect of the movie. The fact that Coogler passed on directing Creed 2, yet is pushing forward on the pre-production for Black Panther 2, illustrates how significant the characters and their home are to him and that his regal leadership is vital in ensuring that the reign of this franchise continues to raise the bar.

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