Another MCU director has hit the eject button, heading to a Galaxy Far, Far Away, bringing the total to three Marvel Studios filmmakers Star Wars has nabbed in recent years. It's no secret that Disney owns both Marvel and Star Wars, which has led to some crossover when it comes to writers, directors, and actors. Some of those examples have worked out better than others, but in general, Disney likes to keep the creatives it trusts under its umbrella. That mindset is clearly going nowhere after hearing the latest splashy Star Wars movie director signing.
Jon Watts has reportedly signed on to direct Star Wars: Episode X, which will kick off a new trilogy written by Simon Kinberg.
Watts is an MCU veteran, having directed the entire Spider-Man Home trilogy, from 2017's Homecoming to 2021's No Way Home. But he's no stranger to Star Wars either, as he already co-created the Disney+ series Skeleton Crew. Now, he's getting the theatrical level-up, and he's clearly trusted over at Disney and Lucasfilm.
Not everyone is thrilled with the news, though, as it's been met with mixed reactions online. Some fans don't think Watts is an inspiring pick, calling the hire a safe one.
His popularity has also taken a hit among some MCU fans (or online trolls) after seeing Destin Daniel Cretton's Spider-Man: Brand New Day. It's not a hot take to say that Brand New Day was an upgrade over any of the Home trilogy films, especially in the visuals, action, and the indescribable "sauce."
Also, the Star Wars fanbase, known for being divided, especially during the Disney era, has another divisive situation in its hands.
Episode 10 was never really promised or even planned, and it will now, reportedly and controversially, continue the Skywalker Saga. That's despite Disney previously marketing 2019's The Rise of Skywalker as the final film in that saga. Even Rey (Daisy Ridley) is supposed to have a role in the new trilogy, but it's unclear how big.
The bottom line is that Watts is the one being handed the keys to Star Wars' biggest future investment. And this isn't the first time Star Wars has stolen a director from the MCU.
In fact, Watts is now set to become the third straight MCU director to helm a Star Wars movie. The two filmmakers who came before him should be pretty familiar to Marvel fans.
Recent MCU Directors Stolen by Star Wars
Jon Favreau
Long before Watts' Spidey flicks, Jon Favreau was the director who got the MCU off the ground. He took off with 2008's Iron Man, introducing Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) to a new generation of nerds.
He then came back for Iron Man 2, which brought Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and War Machine (Don Cheadle) into the fold. On top of that, he's played Tony's bodyguard, Happy Hogan, since day one, and most recently in Deadpool & Wolverine.
What's wild to say is that one could argue that Favreau's role over at Star Wars has been even bigger. He created The Mandalorian for Disney+ in 2019 and served as its showrunner across all three seasons.
He's since overseen much of the MandoVerse, the point on the timeline in the galaxy that includes shows like The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and even Watts' Skeleton Crew.
All of that eventually led Favreau back to the big screen, as he directed and co-wrote The Mandalorian and Grogu, Star Wars' return to theaters after seven years away. Favreau had been on a similar break, with his last theatrical directing gig being 2019's The Lion King.
Unfortunately, Favreau and Star Wars' collective return to theaters wasn't successful. In fact, many believe that the reason why Watts' Episode 10 is happening now is partially because of The Mandalorian & Grogu's lackluster box office results.
Though before Watts takes over the reins at Lucasfilm, there's another MCU director blasting off into theaters with his new movie next year.
Shawn Levy
Shawn Levy only has one MCU movie under his belt, but it's one of the biggest in recent memory. He directed Deadpool & Wolverine, Marvel Studios' first R-rated movie, which officially brought Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) into the MCU and earned over $1.3 billion worldwide, which broke the R-rated record at the time.
Very soon after the launch of that film, Lucasfilm snagged Levy to direct the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter. The standalone adventure, starring Ryan Gosling, is set roughly five years after The Rise of Skywalker and could, in theory, connect to Episode 10.
In an even more complicated, Mickey Mouse-fueled twist, Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios are now stealing Levy right back. He's directing the MCU's Ghost Rider, with the Starighter team sticking together as star Ryan Gosling and writer Jonthan Tropper are making the jump to Marvel as well.
Part of that decision seems based on how good Starfighter apparently is. When Feige introduced Levy and Gosling at San Diego Comic-Con, he admitted he had already seen the movie, calling it "awesome" and saying it "gives me all the Star Wars feels and brings a fresh new thing to it."
On top of that, Disney just signed Levy and his 21 Laps Entertainment banner to a new multiyear overall television deal. The House of Mouse is clearly very confident in him, and the feeling seems mutual, with Levy saying Disney "honestly just feels like home." Maybe he will continue to float between major franchises, earning the company billions of dollars along the way.
