There are superhero movies in theMCU, theDCU, and beyond that are actually nothing at all like the rest of their respective directors' movies. Long before themovies of the MCUestablished the superhero genre as the biggest and most successful in all of cinema, superhero movies existed. Bringing the characters from the pages of comic books to life on the big screen predates major shared universes by a considerable number of years, with many directors turning their hands to creating superhero movies.
Interestingly, some superhero movies actually force their directors to take very different approaches to their filmmaking. Though the earlymovies of the DCEUmight have been characteristic of Zack Snyder’s style, there have been many occasions where a comic book movie is actually nothing like anything its director has otherwise created. With that in mind, here are 10 superhero movies that are nothing like every other movie their director has made.
10The Dark Knight Trilogy
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starting with the aptly namedBatman Beginsin 2005,Christopher Nolan’sDark Knighttrilogyhas since become known as one of the best in the superhero genre. The quality of its movies, especially 2008’sThe Dark Knight, is well-known, but the style of the three-film arc was actually something of a departure for Nolan himself. The director’s grounded approach to adapting the source material was widely celebrated, even if it didn’t fit in with Nolan’s usual approach to storytelling.
One of Christopher Nolan’s most used directorial tricks is the creative use of non-linear storytelling. He has made many notable movies telling non-chronological stories or employing mind-bending narrative techniques, such asMemento,Interstellar, andTenet. However,theDark Knighttrilogy was entirely different, instead simply exploring a more realistic imagining of Gotham City and a number of complex narrative themesrather than Nolan’s traditional mind-bending approach.
9Dredd (2012)
Director: Alex Garland (Uncredited)
2012’sDreddis an interesting entry into the comic book movie genre, not least because of the circumstances surrounding its direction. Though Pete Travis was officially credited as the movie’s director, many – including the movie’s star, Karl Urban – considerDreddAlex Garland’s unofficial directorial debut, especially after Urban stated in a 2018 interview withJoBlogsthat, “A huge part of the success of ‘Dredd’ is in fact due to Alex Garland and what a lot of people don’t realize is that Alex Garland actually directed that movie.”
Garland’s most famous movies include serving as a writer and producer on multiple Danny Boyle movies, including28 Days LaterandSunshine. He has also directed several sci-fi and horror movies, such asEx Machina,Annihilation,Men, andCivil War.Dreddremains the only comic book or action-focused movie in Garland’s entire career, making it different from every other movie he has worked on.
8The Spider-Man Trilogy
Director: Sam Raimi
Few directors can boast having influenced the modern superhero genre as strongly as Sam Raimi, whose threeSpider-Manmovies helped cement the box office potential of comic book movies in the 21st century.Raimi’sSpider-Mantrilogyis considered groundbreaking, and is still well-loved even more than two decades after it began. However, the three-film arc is nothing like any of Raimi’s other movies.
Other than hisSpider-Manmovies, Sam Raimi is often considered a horror director, though his work also contains a fair share of other genres, including comedy and thriller releases. Having risen to prominence with theEvil Deadmovies, many of Raimi’s most significant titles have been horror-focused.
Even his MCU debut,Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, had more of a horror aspect to it, whereas Raimi’sSpider-Manmovies were more straight-up superhero fare. This alone makes them stand out among the director’s many career credits, and even among his superhero releases, as both theDoctor Strangesequel and the 1990’sDarkmanmovie have more obliquely horror-esque tones to theSpider-Mantrilogy.
7The Wolverine (2013)
Director: James Mangold
Of all the directors working in Hollywood, very few possess the versatility of James Mangold. Mangold’s career has seen him tackle almost every genre imaginable, although there are specific aspects that typically characterize his movies. However, 2013’sThe Wolverineis a notable exception to this, standing out even among the incredibly varied titles from throughout his career.
Mangold has made a number of biopics and westerns, and his movies often tackle dramatic themes. Even Mangold’s follow-up toThe Wolverine, 2017’sLogan, borrowed some of those typical western aspects. However, Mangold’s first foray intoFox’sX-Menfranchiseremains an outlier in his filmography, as it is the only traditional comic book movie he has made. Considering he was able to put his own stamp onLogan– to much critical fanfare – it seems clear thatThe Wolverineis unlike anything else the director has made.
6Eternals (2021)
Director: Chloé Zhao
Chloé Zhao made her MCU debut in 2021 withEternals, teased as a sprawling superhero epic spanning several millennia. The movie’s place in theMCU’s movie timelineafforded it a certain buzz, though this unfortunately did not end up resulting in critical or box office acclaim. Additionally, Zhao’s own status as an Oscar-winning director prompted high hopes forEternals, ultimately making her MCU debut a disappointing movie on several levels.
Eternalsis nothing like any of the other movies in Chloé Zhao’s career, perhaps indicating where it went wrong. Zhao is best known for her work on independent movies, telling incredibly touching stories of human drama. Placing her at the helm of a grandiose superhero ensemble movie did not play to her strengths, asEternals’ place in her career credits highlights. ConsideringZhao has made nothing else even remotely likeEternals, its inability to live up to its hype may not be all that surprising to some.
5Green Lantern (2011)
Director: Martin Campbell
Commonly considered to be among the worst superhero movies ever made, 2011’sGreen Lanternlives on in infamy. Its director, Martin Campbell, was reportedly unhappy with the finished film, and though he is rarely blamed for its issues, it still stands out as a clear outlier in his career. Simply put,Green Lanternis like nothing else that Campbell has made, either before or since its release.
The biggest criticism ofGreen Lanternwas the movie’s abysmal use of CGI. Interestingly, Campbell’s career has contained very few movies that required the technology to be used so extensively, with most of his most notable movies being more traditional action fare. In that regard,Green Lanternstands out doubly in Campbell’s career, both in terms of its use of CGI and in terms of its incredibly poor reception, as he is otherwise a well-respected filmmaker.
4Venom
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Themovies of Sony’s Spider-Man Universedo not boast a particularly positive reputation, with the likes ofMorbiusandMadame Webin particular earning it the ire of audiences and critics alike. However, the significantly more successfulVenom -and its sequel,Venom: Let There Be Carnage, before Andy Serkis took over - shared the same director. Ruben Fleischer was responsible for both of the first twoVenommovies, earning some praise for them despite the fact that they’re different from all of his other films.
Fleischer is typically a comedy director, having madeZombielandand30 Minutes or Less. Fleischer’s other more light-hearted fare also includesUncharted, further highlighting how different hisVenomefforts are from his other movies.His work in the Sony Spider-Man Universe both took on a much darker tone than his other movies, and though they found general success, they were different from his other directorial titles.
3The Flash (2023)
Director: Andy Muschietti
Though the film went through many directors in its long and troubled production, 2023’sThe Flashwas released after being made by Andy Muschietti. As Muschietti’s fourth directorial feature, it would seem that the director’s career had been too short to establish any real pattern, but this wasn’t the case. All of Muschietti’s previous movies existed firmly within the confines of the horror genre.
Muschietti’s feature debut was the horror filmMama, followed by Stephen King adaptationsItand sequelIt Chapter Two.The Flashwas Muschietti’s first non-horror movie, and its overall tone and narrative further separated it from his previous movies. Not only wasThe Flashnot horror, it was decidedly comedic in places, and Muschietti’s previous style of filmmaking was nowhere to be seen. Given the not inconsiderable negative reception of the film, it may seem thatThe Flashwas simply too different from the director’s style for him to fit the DCEU title.
2Hellboy (2019)
Director: Neil Marshall
2019’s ill-fatedHellboyreboot has been largely forgotten in the years since its release, thanks in no small part to its terrible critical reception. However, it is notable for one particular reason: it’s nothing at all like the previous films of its director. Neil Marshall helmed the reboot, and it proved to be by far the most disastrous release of his career, despite adapting an existing and relatively well-loved character.
Hellboy’s poor CGI and awful critical reviews make it stand out in Marshall’s list of directorial credits. With a budget of $50 million, it is by far Marshall’s most expensive movie to date, as well as his least profitable. AsNeil Marshall is best known for making relatively low-budget cult favorites with reasonably impressive practical effectssuch asDog SoldiersandThe Descent, 2019’sHellboybeing in his filmography marks it as a clear anomaly.
1Doctor Strange (2016)
Director: Scott Derrickson
Released in 2016,Doctor Strangeintroduced a whole new world of magic to the MCU in emphatic fashion. One of the MCU’s many noteworthy successes, the film was directed by Scott Derrickson, who had risen to prominence with the success ofSinisterin 2012. Bizarrely,Doctor Strangeis the only movie in Derrickson’s entire career that simply cannot be placed in the horror genre.
Derrickson’s notable credits includeThe Exorcism of Emily Rose,The Black Phone, andDeliver Us from Evil, as well asSinister. The success of these movies has earned him a reputation as one of Hollywood’s most dependable horror filmmakers, butDoctor Strangedoes not fit the pattern. However, the success of his Marvel movie should be noted as evidence that Derrickson is another director from theMCU, theDCU, or beyond that is capable of finding success even outside of his creative comfort zone.
DC Universe
The DC Universe is one of the biggest comic book franchises and often competes with Marvel. DC Comics started as National Allied Publications, founded by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in 1935. Since then, the franchise has exploded with thousands of comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games. 2013 marked the beginning of the most recent iteration of the superheroes, with Zack Snyder introducing Henry Cavill as Superman. After several movies with mixed reviews, DC underwent a soft reboot under the helm of James Gunn and Peter Safran.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
