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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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ANAHEIM, CA – MAY 25, 2017: In this handout photo provided by Disney Resorts, director James Gunn attends the grand opening of Guardians of The Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! attraction on May 25, 2017 at Disneys California Adventure in Disneyland in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Richard Harbaugh/Disneyland Resort via Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA – MAY 25, 2017: In this handout photo provided by Disney Resorts, director James Gunn attends the grand opening of Guardians of The Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! attraction on May 25, 2017 at Disneys California Adventure in Disneyland in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Richard Harbaugh/Disneyland Resort via Getty Images) /

6. James Gunn

Directed: Super (2011), Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

I watched James Gunn’s first superhero movie of this decade in one of IFC Center’s small screening rooms. Super was low-budget, obviously independently produced, but also very amusing and surprising. And ultimately, it showcased Gunn’s understanding of how to tell a good story, on top of his devotion to these types of quirky characters. Super alone would not place Gunn on the top 10 superhero director’s list, but it helped him lay out his path to greatness. With Super, Marvel saw someone who had a zany sense of humor and a knack for fresh, witty dialogue and they knew he would be a gamechanger in the superhero genre if he was given a huge budget with a similar level of filmmaking freedom.

Guardians of the Galaxy combines what audiences love about superhero films and sci-fi space westerns like Star Wars. But only the best of those types of movies have great characters with defined motivations and real stakes. Gunn creates and develops the Guardians like a natural novelist, with appealing qualities and an exquisite level of detail. And then, what ends up standing out the most, is how damn funny Gunn’s movies are.

James Gunn’s twisted sense of humor is stamped all over the series, with gags about stealing people’s body parts and jokes about sensitive nipples. His balance of comedy, drama, and action are just as good as anyone’s in the business. However, the same comedic instincts and provocation that make him an exciting and unpredictable director, landed him in trouble when some of his tweets were deemed insensitive. After being let go from the franchise by Disney, he is now back and ready to film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

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