5 CBM Directors Who Conquered Both the MCU and DCU — Ranked

Comic book movies look like popcorn fun from the outside, but pulling one off takes a scary amount of planning, taste, and stamina. A few directors have done it so well they basically rewired the genre. Here are my five, ranked. Feel free to disagree — that’s half the fun.

1. Zack Snyder

   Movies: 300, Watchmen, Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Zack Snyder's Justice League

   Snyder is not a consensus pick. He is, however, a capital-V Visionary. Even when his movies don’t land for you, the scale, the mood, and the painterly frames are undeniable. That’s why he’s got such a ride-or-die fan base, and why his stuff sticks in the culture whether critics like it or not.

   Receipts and scores: 300 made $454,161,935 (61% on Rotten Tomatoes); Watchmen did $186,976,250 (64%); Man of Steel flew to $667,999,518 (57%); Batman v Superman punched up $874,360,194 (28%); Zack Snyder's Justice League skipped theaters and arrived on streaming, where it sits at 71%.

2. Joe and Anthony Russo

   Movies: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame

   These two turned Marvel’s continuity web into crowd-pleasing blockbuster engineering. They juggle huge casts, stitch together clean action, and deliver the big-screen goosebump moments. Not every creative call worked (I see you, Smart Hulk), but the wins blow past the misses.

   Receipts and scores: The Winter Soldier hit $714,401,889 (90%); Civil War drew $1,151,899,586 (90%); Infinity War snapped to $2,048,158,241 (85%); Endgame closed with $2,717,503,922 (94%).

   As for what’s next: they’re reportedly returning for new Avengers movies, including Secret Wars — and a project floated as Doomsday — but as always, nothing is real in this business until the studio plants a flag.

3. Sam Raimi

   Movies: Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

   Tobey Maguire’s Spidey is still many people’s favorite take, and Raimi’s sincerity is a big reason why. Yes, Spider-Man 3 split the room — Bully Maguire jokes endure for a reason — but the trilogy’s earnest, slightly retro vibe is exactly what makes it rewatchable now. His MCU entry, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, isn’t top-tier Marvel overall, but the set pieces and the emotion absolutely sing.

   Receipts and scores: Spider-Man swung to $823,929,972 (90%); Spider-Man 2 climbed to $797,001,599 (93%); Spider-Man 3 posted $896,337,268 (63%); Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness conjured $952,224,986 (73%). If I were going purely on vibes, Raimi might rank even higher.

4. Christopher Nolan

   Movies: Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises

   Nolan has only one comic-book trilogy, but it reset the bar. He grounded Batman so effectively that every studio chased the approach for years. Bale’s brooding hero, Ledger’s Joker — it’s all-timer stuff. Fun fact: Nolan also produced Snyder’s Man of Steel, which explains a bit of the tonal handoff from one era to the next.

   Receipts and scores: Batman Begins did $356,770,593 (85%); The Dark Knight soared to $1,010,086,005 (94%); The Dark Knight Rises reached $1,082,228,107 (87%). He’s off making giant non-comic epics like Oppenheimer, and The Odyssey has been floated as a future project, but that Dark Knight run alone locks his spot here.

5. James Gunn

   Movies: Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Suicide Squad, Superman

   Love him or roll your eyes at the Twitter era of it all, Gunn has a ridiculous hit rate. He makes misfit ensembles feel like family and sneaks real heart into the chaos. When he took over DC’s reboot, plenty of folks were skeptical. Then Superman landed and a lot of those skeptics got very quiet.

   'People have been asking me a lot, why did I take this job? I knew that there was going to be a lot of hitches, a lot of problems, but as many of you know, comic books are in my blood. These characters are in my blood. I was sort of an oddball child who didn't really have many friends and loved comic books. Loved DC comic books, loved Marvel comic books.'

   That origin story shows up on screen.

   Receipts and scores: Guardians hit $770,882,395 (91%); Vol. 2 did $869,087,963 (85%); Vol. 3 closed at $845,555,777 (82%); The Suicide Squad tallied $168,717,425 (90%); Superman has flown to $615,659,364 (83%).

Honorable mention: Ryan Coogler

Movies: Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Coogler delivered one stone-cold classic and one deeply felt follow-up that had to navigate the impossible. Black Panther became a worldwide event, set a new standard for blockbuster representation, and remains the only Marvel Studios film nominated for Best Picture. Wakanda Forever handles grief with care and gives Chadwick Boseman a sendoff worthy of the man and the character. If you didn’t love Shuri taking the mantle, fair — but it’s hard to argue T'Challa wouldn’t approve of the way the film centers legacy.

Receipts and scores: Black Panther roared to $1,334,157,082 (96%); Wakanda Forever reached $859,208,836 (84%).

Alright, your turn. Drop your top five below and tell me who I whiffed on.