Jon Favreau
Favreau started the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the two IRON MAN films and has been a Disney go to director since he made the excellent THE JUNGLE BOOK. With so many projects on his plate, including creating a STAR WARS television series, Favreau may not be able to helm a project for the big screen, but he would be an ideal heir apparent to JJ Abrams.
Brad Bird
Brad Bird jumped from THE IRON GIANT and THE INCREDIBLES to the astounding set pieces of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL which many assumed boded well for his potential of working on STAR WARS. But, with the lackluster performance of TOMORROWLAND, Bird is back to working with Pixar on THE INCREDIBLES 2. But, if there was anyone with the eye of Spielberg and the heart of Lucas, it is Bird. I would love to see what he could do with the Skywalker saga and beyond.
Patty Jenkins
Patty Jenkins has released two films in the last twenty years: one was one of the highest grossing films of 2017 and delivered a female led superhero movie when no studio thought it would be a hit. The other was an Oscar-winning drama about a serial killer. Neither is STAR WARS but both have elements that could give Lucasfilm a unique challenge they have yet to straddle. While there have been strong female characters in STAR WARS, there is always room for more.
Ryan Coogler
Need I say more than BLACK PANTHER? The biggest superhero movie of all time and one of the top ten grossing films of all time should be more than enough to garner Coogler a slot on this ranking. But, he also made the excellent CREED and great FRUITVALE STATION. Coogler is not just someone who should be reduced to a minority filmmaker but rather just a talented filmmaker. Coogler bends the rules like Waititi but dramatically rather than comedically. His fresh approach could definitely open STAR WARS to an even wider audience than it already reaches.
Andrew Stanton
Pixar veteran Stanton broke out of his animated world of FINDING NEMO and WALL-E to make the maligned JOHN CARTER and has since not made a live action film. Still, JOHN CARTER was a beautiful and epic spectacle of filmmaking that looked and felt like a STAR WARS movie. Stanton has since done very well back in the Pixar fold, but if he was going to get a chance to make another live action movie, it could be a great STAR WARS film.
Joe Johnston
While he is best known for helming CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER and THE ROCKETEER, Johnston got his start working on George Lucas’ original trilogy. Because of his familiarity with the STAR WARS mythos and close association with both Lucas and Steven Spielberg, Johnston’s workmanlike approach would make him a comparable filmmaker to Ron Howard. While not flashy, Johnston’s love of the serials that inspired STAR WARS would blend beautifully with the franchise dynamic.
Denis Villeneuve
With PRISONERS and ARRIVAL, Villeneuve proved he had the chops to make intense films regardless of genre. With BLADE RUNNER 2049, he showed he can handle huge budgets while still making a profound feature. STAR WARS has always been pulpy and fun, but there is room for Villeneuve’s brand of filmmaking. He is set to tackle DUNE next, but why not give him a shot at the biggest franchise of all?
Taika Waititi
THOR RAGNAROK brought a very different tone and style to the Marvel Cinematic Universe while still following all of the prerequisites the studio mandates of each film. That makes Taika Waititi both a team player and an anarchist willing to push the boundaries of the rules as far as they will go without breaking them. That is the type of voice STAR WARS needs. While Phil Lord and Christopher Miller may have been pushed off of SOLO for playing too much, they were an unproven commodity whereas Waititi has shown he can pull it off and make it work.
Michelle MacLaren
Once in place to helm WONDER WOMAN, MacLaren was not able to come to terms with what Warner Bros wanted from their superheroine film. Still, the acclaim MacLaren has earned from her work on the small screen including Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad is more than worthy of a second chance with a big scale epic film. STAR WARS has been pushing a lot of female-centric product lines in recent years, so why not go for a project like STAR WARS?
Justin Lin
After reinvigorating the FAST AND FURIOUS franchise, Justin Lin has dabbled in that other big science fiction franchise with STAR TREK BEYOND. Clearly, Lin has the ability to work within the confines of a studio system and within the rules of an established cinematic universe. He may not be the most innovative filmmaker, but his familiarity with genre and big budget special effects would make him a fit for Lucasfilm’s style.
