Earlier today, I put together a list of 10 talented young actors who would be suitable candidates to play the latest incarnation of Spider-Man in the Marvel Studios/Sony Pictures team-up movie. I wrote about a large variety of possible stars, ranging in age, background and nationality, and I could honestly see any of them landing the extremely exciting part. But while there are many performers out there who could potentially take the part, there is only one director the two studios should be looking at to make the new solo film: Drew Goddard.
While perhaps not a household name just yet, Goddard is a filmmaker fans will recognize for his close relationships with both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Amazing Spider-Man movies over the last few years. It was in November 2013 that he was first hired as the writer and showrunner on Daredevil - the first collaboration between Marvel Studios and Netflix - and it was about one month later that Sony brought him aboard to start developing a script for their Sinister Six.
Unfortunately, it was about six months after that when things started to get a bit chaotic. Sony pushed up the timetable for Sinister Six, which forced Goddard to hand over the reins of Daredevil to Steven DeKnight. Now, Daredevil is on pace to debut in April, and Goddard is left standing at the helm of a project that may or may not ever happen. After going through all that, one might argue that Marvel and Sony kind of owe Drew Goddard a superhero project to call his own.
Even beyond simple retribution, however, there is a very easy case to be made for Drew Goddard to direct the new Spider-Man movie, as he is the only filmmaker to have worked with both Marvel and Sony in the past – proving that both see him as a talent they believe in and trust. In the spirit of the newly formed partnership between the two companies, wouldn’t it be ideal to find a director who sits in that exact position? It’s even worth noting that Goddard’s connection to the Marvel Cinematic Universe goes back even further than his work on Daredevil, as he actually worked closely with Joss Whedon on The Avengers, insisting on helping his friend with the characterization of Tom Hiddleston’s Loki in the film (which, of course, went on to be one of the best elements of the feature).
That just leaves the question of whether or not Drew Goddard actually possesses the talent and ability to helm the new MCU Spider-Man movie, and the answer is yes. He not only has a tremendous resume writing for the small screen – including shows like Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel and Lost - but his 2012 directorial debut The Cabin In The Woods is a rather genius bit of narrative that demonstrates Goddard’s crafty directorial eye (especially in the explosive and ridiculous third act). Goddard has proven himself as a great storyteller and a filmmaker to watch, and Marvel and Sony should trust him with the future of the wall-crawling web-slinger.
At this point in time, there is no better director out there better suited to take control of the next generation of Spider-Man than Drew Goddard, and in the immediate wake of the Marvel/Sony deal it would be smart to establish him at the helm. He has the talent, he has the background, he knows the right people, and the companies owe him the opportunity. What’s there to think about?
