After Joe Johnston created one of the most purely fun, campy comic book movies with Captain America: The First Avenger last summer, he will now hand over the reigns to new talent for the sequel. And it is an interesting batch to say the least, as Vulture reports the top candidates.
Written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, Marvel had an initial list of ten directors for the film, but now just three possibilities remain. George Nolfi, who last directed The Adjustment Bureau and wrote The Bourne Ultimatum and Ocean’s Twelve, is in the running, along with The Italian Job and Law Abiding Citizen helmer F. Gary Gray. The odd man, or men rather, out seems to be Anthony and Joseph Russo.
The duo come mostly from the comedy world, directing comedies like You, Me and Dupree and Welcome to Colinwood, as well as episodes of Arrested Development and Community. Reports indicate that president of production at Marvel, Kevin Feige, got along great with the pair and since he’ll be heavily collaborating with them for the next few years if they are chosen, that is a key factor in his decision and why they are on this list.
An outside-the-box choice like them could breath new life into Marvel’s increasingly tired slate, and especially for a character that relies heavily on witty comedy. As I’m not a fan of Gray, my personal pick would be Nolfi, whose Adjustment Bureau was well-crafted and featured a solid mix of romance and sci-fi smarts. The director decision could happen as soon as next month, so we’ll likely find out soon.
Marvel is expected to release this sequel in summer 2014.
Who do you want to see direct the next Captain America?