7 Legendary Directors Who Almost Made Superhero Movies That Would Have Changed Everything

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Over the past decade, it’s become common for either up-and-coming directors from indie films (like Jon Watts, Spider-Man: Homecoming; Chloe Zhao, Eternals; and Ryan Coogler, Black Panther) or seasoned horror movie directors (David F. Sandberg, Shazam; James Wan, Aquaman; Andy Muschietti, The Flash; and Scott Derrickson, Doctor Strange) to take on superhero film projects. While there are many skilled directors behind these movies, with a few exceptions (Coogler, Zhao, or Raimi), they don’t typically rank among the greatest of all time. Yet, it’s interesting to note that several other talented filmmakers have previously been in line to direct various superhero films.

As a fan, I’ve often pondered about the intriguing “what if?” scenarios where renowned filmmakers nearly ventured into the realm of major studio superhero movie making. It’s fascinating to consider seven instances where these talented directors almost took on superheroes, but for various reasons, it never came to pass. These situations are so captivating that they seem like bizarre alternate-universe comic book plots.

1) James Cameron’s Spider-Man

Originally, James Cameron, who is well-known for directing future films like “Titanic” and “Avatar”, was considering a film adaptation of Spider-Man. Cameron was deeply invested in this project and penned a script that was notorious for its adult content. However, complications regarding the movie rights to Spider-Man led Cameron to abandon the challenging endeavor. Given his status as a blockbuster director, it’s no wonder he quickly found other financially rewarding projects to manage instead.

2) George Miller’s Justice League: Mortal

George Miller, a well-known filmmaker, was slated in the mid-2000s to direct a live-action adaptation of Justice League: Mortal, a movie that would have brought some of DC Comics’ most iconic characters to life. This project was expected to feature these heroes in their vibrant costumes and showcase them on the big screen. The idea of Miller, who had made Mad Max: Fury Road, working with these characters seemed almost too perfect. Unfortunately, it never materialized. The Writers’ Guild of America strike between 2007 and 2008 and the shifting superhero movie trends in the late 2000s led Warner Bros. to cancel this production despite having a cast lined up and preparations underway for filming.

3) Paul Greengrass and X-Men vs. Fantastic Four

Known for his gripping, authentic action films such as ‘United 93’ and ‘Captain Phillips’, Paul Greengrass is also recognized for the realistic touch he brings to even his four Bourne movies. Interestingly, discussions took place about Greengrass directing the unusual crossover film from 20th Century Fox, titled ‘X-Men vs. Fantastic Four‘. However, Greengrass ultimately decided not to take on the project, and soon after, Fox changed their focus on superhero films, opting for standalone features like ‘Logan ‘ and ‘Deadpool‘ instead.

4) Christopher McQuarrie and Man of Steel 2

As the movie reviewer who recently enjoyed the exceptional collaboration between director Christopher McQuarrie and Henry Cavill on “Mission: Impossible – Fallout”, I was thrilled to learn that this dynamic duo planned to join forces again, this time potentially for a sequel to “Man of Steel”. Intriguingly, McQuarrie conceived an idea for a fresh take on the “Superman” storyline, along with a proposed reboot of “Green Lantern”, which Warner Bros. had even entrusted him to develop. Unfortunately, the studio decided to focus on other superhero films instead, leaving fans like myself in eager anticipation of future collaborations between these talented creators.

5) Guillermo del Toro and Justice League Dark

There are numerous superhero films that Guillermo del Toro came close to directing following his work on Blade II. Among the most intriguing unmade projects is Justice League Dark, which del Toro had planned. This team would have featured a number of mysterious, fantastical DC Comics characters such as Swamp-Thing and John Constantine. Del Toro was deeply invested in this project, but studio politics and scheduling conflicts ultimately resulted in its demise.

6) Spike Lee and Nightwatch

Spike Lee’s body of work is filled with great films like “Malcolm X”, “Do the Right Thing”, and “Da 5 Bloods”. For a while, it seemed as if his impressive portfolio would expand to include a film adaptation of the lesser-known Marvel Comics character Nightwatch for Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. Such a project would have undoubtedly boosted the prestige of this shared universe. However, despite being associated with the project throughout 2017, by late 2018, Lee announced he was no longer directing the film. Since then, Nightwatch has not been made, with Sony instead concentrating on projects like “Kraven the Hunter” and “Madame Web”.

7) Darren Aronofsky and The Wolverine

How might we reignite interest in standalone Wolverine films, especially following the reception of 2009’s “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”? In the case of 20th Century Fox, a potential strategy was to collaborate with an acclaimed filmmaker such as Darren Aronofsky. Fresh off the success of his Best Picture nominated film, “Black Swan” in 2010 and his previous work with Jackman on “The Fountain”, Aronofsky’s involvement could help distance “The Wolverine” from the negative connotations associated with the 2009 superhero movie. However, similar to other unrealized superhero projects like a “Batman” film, Aronofsky ultimately chose not to direct “The Wolverine”. This departure allowed James Mangold to step in, eventually leading to the creation of “Logan”.

The Wolverine is now streaming on Disney+.

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2025-06-18 18:11