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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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HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 26: Jon Watts attends the Premiere Of Sony Pictures’ “Spider-Man Far From Home” at TCL Chinese Theatre on June 26, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 26: Jon Watts attends the Premiere Of Sony Pictures’ “Spider-Man Far From Home” at TCL Chinese Theatre on June 26, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images) /

5. Jon Watts

Directed: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Jon Watts is another amazing example of Kevin Feige and Marvel plucking a director from relative obscurity and asking him to take on a massive franchise. Cop Car illustrated that Watts knew how to work with young actors and could tackle convincing antagonists. However, when he made Spider-Man: Homecoming, it had more in common with John Hughes’ movies than his own. The combination of Tom Holland’s now untouchable portrayal of Peter Parker and the fantastic way that superheroic action is structured around the high school comedy genre makes Homecoming and Far From Home each better than the five Spidey flicks made by Sam Raimi and Marc Webb.

Another reason for their success is partially because they fit into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with the most important factor being how they fit into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Incautiously squeezing Spider-Man into stories that are dominated by Iron Man and Captain America just to sell tickets and merchandise would have made Watts’ films worse than the Amazing Spider-Man movies. Even before Homecoming, the producers made sure the character’s appearance was coherent. Both Black Panther and Spider-Man were introduced in Captain America: Civil War, yet T’Challa had a larger role because his personal story was more essential to the film’s plot.

What Civil War set up was Peter Parker’s bond with Tony Stark, and Watts makes that a key part of Homecoming. Even when Iron Man isn’t around, Peter is motivated to demonstrate that he has what it takes to fight alongside the Avengers. Iron Man continues to be a mentor and father figure in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame and, even though Tony dies in the latter, their relationship doesn’t come to a close until Far From Home. Without Iron Man, Spider-Man is forced to step up and make serious superhero decisions. In Far From Home, Watts sticks with the teenaged comedy routines while upping the ante significantly; Peter is, at times, lost and in mourning, and his new nemesis takes advantage of that. Far From Home is currently the best Spider-Man film ever made.

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