Let's go ahead and get this out of the way: I love David Fincher. He's my favorite contemporary director. And I don't want him for my favorite superhero movie for the sole purpose that something about his style of filmmaking doesn't quite fit the glove of Daredevil. I can't quite put my finger on it, but for some reason, hearing "David Fincher's Daredevil" doesn't excite me as much as I think it should. It's something about the fact that while I think his movies are excellent, they never have any real energy behind them. They're not movies that, in my opinion, can be watched multiple times, and sometimes they're so cut and dry that it underwhelms the director's vision.
My favorite Fincher film is Zodiac, but the film does meander quite a bit. While he's my favorite director because of his work ethic and the masterful flavor he's able to put into each film, I don't believe he's stylistic and pulpy enough for Daredevil.
That being said, the following are my choices for a Daredevil film.
6. Gary Ross
Notable Films:
The Hunger Games,
Seabiscuit,
Pleasantville
Upcoming Films:
The Free State of Jones
After wowing audiences with his take on the popular
Hunger Games franchise, Ross added to his resume a blockbuster film with a well-deserved sigh of relief. So, what's a director like Ross doing on a Daredevil director wish list?
Let's use
Hunger Games as an example. Ross managed to take the content of the book and wrap it neatly into a PG-13 box without disturbing a majority of the content; all the while staying as faithful as possible to the material. We've seen him work wonders with a female lead which could really stretch the extra mile for characters like Karen Page or Elektra. In all, Ross is a conservative filmmaker with the content of a film (knowing how much is "too" much) and an advocate for respecting the source material.
5.
Jee-woon Kim
Notable Films:
I Saw the Devil;
The Good, the Bad, and the Weird;
A Bittersweet Life
Upcoming Films:
The Last Stand
One of the most stylistic and brutal filmmakers working today, Kim has a resume of glorious looking films. His most prime example,
I Saw the Devil, while a complete stomach-churning, emotional marathon of a film is shot with a striking elegance. Kim makes the list for capturing images that really resonate with an audience. I'd recommend IStD for those with a strong stomach to see some incredible filmmaking techniques.
4.
Martin McDonagh
Notable Films:
In Bruges
Upcoming Films:
Seven Psychopaths
Considered a newbie to the directing world, McDonagh is an established playwright who knows and understands character development. His directing debut with
In Bruges might be one of the classiest debuts ever, throwing into his picture high-string energy with subtle emotional tangents. A director with the ability to find a comically dark tone while still providing dramatic layers to each character could be quite welcoming to the comic universe.
3.
Ben Affleck
Notable Films:
Gone Baby Gone,
The Town
Upcoming Films:
Argo
A director who is no stranger to the man in the red suit, Affleck is a powerhouse of a director; able not only to weave together a fantastic story, but direct his actors to wonderful performances. Also an accomplished screenwriter, it'd be neat to see if Affleck could fill out an entire comic book movie and not just the suit, itself.
2.
Rian Johnson
Notable Films:
Brick,
The Brothers Bloom
Upcoming Films:
Looper
Another popular and upcoming director, Johnson is no stranger to noir (
Brick) and fun, pulpy characters (
TBB). Giving him a big budget, larger than life characters, and an intimate, narrow scope of New York city could be the break we've all been looking for. Johnson seems like a director eager to surprise at every corner, and Daredevil is a property that allows him to capitalize on all of his talents thus far; while providing a little something new moviegoers have yet to see.
1.
Tomas Alfredson
Notable Films:
Let the Right One In;
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Upcoming Productions: TBA
Alfredson has proved that he can work with the simplest story (
LtROI) and the most complicated one (
TTSS) and also reigns supreme as a master of effective imagery. Giving him a layered story exploring the law aspect of the Daredevil mythos and combining it with the close, intimate relationship aspect of Matt Murdock and his friends, Alfredson has a chance not only to capture the soul of the characters, but the soul of the city itself. A tense, taut Daredevil film is something that I'm waiting for, and I think Alfredson could really deliver.