With the recent announcement that Michael Waldron was tapped to write Avengers: Secret Wars, many Marvel fans have theorized about who could direct the film. There are plenty of talented choices for the spot at directing the grand finale of the Marvel Studio’s second epic saga, but I get the sense that the studio is leaning towards staying in-house for the search.
While there will be dozens of insanely talented directing choices out there, Marvel has shown a pattern of going with what they already know. This is why it actually makes a great deal of sense that Waldron was chosen to pen the script for Secret Wars. Through both Loki and Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness, Michael Waldron has played a crucial role in crafting the Multiverse story currently being told in the MCU, one that will certainly have major stakes and accumulate in Avengers: Secret Wars.
The question at hand is who will Marvel bring on to direct Secret Wars? I already discussed why it seems likely that Marvel will continue to stay in-house for the film. Daniel Destin Cretton directing Avengers: The Kang Dynasty also seems to prove my point further.
The good news for Marvel is after all these years they have assembled a serious amount of talent in terms of directors. Today I will be taking a look at who I think could be the top choices to direct Avengers: Secret Wars. See if you agree with me and be sure to sound off on social media about what you think!
Could Peyton Reed direct Avengers: Secret Wars?
The Ant-Man trilogy and The Mandalorian director Peyton Reed is the first on the list of potential directors. After working with Marvel on three films over the course of seven years, Peyton Reed has become one of the most seasoned directors at Marvel Studios.
With a directorial resume that not only includes Marvel but also two episodes of the wildly successful Star Wars Disney+ series, I would say he has amassed a fairly robust catalog in his directorial career.
Do I think he would be the right choice? That all depends on how Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania is handled. The film will be our first introduction to the true Kang The Conqueror, played by Jonathan Majors. The version of Kang we saw in Loki was more so an amalgamation of Immortus reimagined as He Who Remains. The way Peyton Reed portrays Kang will be crucial to my feelings about him potentially directing Secret Wars.
What about Spider-Man director Jon Watts?
Next up on the contender’s list is Spider-Man: Homecoming trilogy director, Jon Watts. While the first two choices of Peyton Reed and Jon Watts may feel a bit bland, I am doing so based on my assumption that Marvel will stay in-house in their search.
Watts possesses experience among the likes of Anthony & Joe Russo by directing Spider-Man: No Way Home. A film that features a massive ensemble cast that serves as the climax to three generations of Spider-Man films. Not to mention it features three different Spider-Men, as No Way Home saw the return of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield.
To top that all off, the film ties the whole story together using the Multiverse, which is certainly the most important aspect of The Multiverse Saga.
While I don’t necessarily love the style Jon Watts utilizes, I think his experience with a film as monstrous as No Way Home is impossible to ignore. No one amongst the current Marvel roster of directors, besides the Russo Brothers, has the experience he possesses dealing with such a full cast and story full of talented actors and shocking secrets. I believe he deserves some consideration. I fully expect Marvel to have him in the running to helm the film.
Then there’s Black Panther director Ryan Coogler
My personal pick to direct Avengers: Secret Wars is Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever director Ryan Coogler. Coogler feels like the right choice for this director’s chair. The first Black Panther film was highly received by both critics and the general audience and was up for multiple Academy Awards.
Wakanda Forever certainly seems to be following in its predecessor’s footsteps, after recent promotional footage has generated an incredible amount of hype and anticipation.
The reason behind Coogler as my pick is fairly simple, he is truly a talented director. His work on Black Panther was spectacular, Wakanda Forever looks like it’s going to be even better.
His work on crafting Wakanda in the MCU is among the likes we will never see again. I believe he is a generational director, once he branches out of the MCU beyond more than just the Creed films, the general audiences will see how special his craft is.
The Marvels’ marvelous Nia DaCosta
Nia DaCosta comes in as the final contender on my list. This pick may be a bit of an outlier to some, but I think DaCosta is another incredibly talented name that Marvel managed to get very early on in her career.
Her first feature film titled Little Woods was incredibly well received critically and more than likely put her at the top of Marvel’s radar. The film also stars Tessa Thompson, the very talented actress who portrays Valkyrie in the Thor franchise.
While DaCosta’s sample size may be small, Marvel clearly thinks highly of her. Helming a film with Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, Monica Rambeau, Nick Fury, and more is no easy task. Captain Marvel is a cornerstone of the MCU for many years to come, proving how much faith Marvel has in Nia DaCosta with such a small resume.
While I do believe the Secret Wars director will be chosen before The Marvels hits theaters, a strong critical and box office performance from the film would certainly boost her chances.
Who is your pick for who should direct Avengers: Secret Wars?
As displayed throughout this article, Marvel has a talented pool of in-house directors to choose from. With a film as crucial as Avengers: Secret Wars, I believe there to be a very slim chance Marvel ventures out of their own boundaries for a director.
It’s arguable that Secret Wars could eclipse Endgame in importance to the MCU. This is no small task for Marvel, they will undoubtedly have their hands full with both Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars likely filming within a year of each other. These films will likely cost over a combined one billion dollars in production.
This still leads me to believe Marvel takes the safest route possible. Regardless of who is selected for the director’s chair, the hype for Avengers: Secret Wars will continue to reach a level of anticipation seen rarely.
But what do you think? Who should direct Avengers: Secret Wars? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, or our Discord!
Avengers: Secret Wars is expected in theaters on November 7, 2025. And for a full breakdown of all the exciting dates and announcements from Marvel Studio’s Hall H panel at SDCC, check our Brian Kitson’s article!
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