Christopher Nolan is a brilliant director with a highly impressive back catalog of movies. 2000’s Memento, 2005-2012’s Dark Knight trilogy, 2010’s Inception, 2014’s Interstellar, 2017’s Dunkirk, and 2023’s Oppenheimer are just some of the fantastic projects the British-American filmmaker has overseen.
During a speed round of questions with YouTuber HugoDécrypte, Hugo asked the director whether he’d like to get behind the camera on another superhero project, and he replied with an abrupt “no.” However, if Christopher Nolan ever gets tempted to step back into the world of comic book characters, which Marvel Cinematic Universe movies could he do a terrific job directing? These are five potential MCU films Nolan would nail.
Doctor Strange 4
Through Inception, audiences saw what Christopher Nolan was capable of regarding manipulating the environment in his films. The cinematography was breathtaking, with mind-bending imagery representing the dreamworld impressively. The aesthetics could be spectacular if the director got his hands on the next Doctor Strange movie. Strange has magically manipulated the environment of the Mirror Dimension in all of his MCU appearances to date. Nolan could take that concept to the next level. Moreover, should the evil Nightmare be introduced in the film, Nolan could depict the nightmare world in an awe-inspiring fashion, as he did with the dreamworld in Inception. A Doctor Strange film directed by Nolan would take audiences on a journey through a fantastical and hypnotizing labyrinth of sheer wonder.
Moon Knight
The Moon Knight miniseries on Disney+ proved massively popular. If Marvel Studios plans to make a movie starring the eponymous character, Christopher Nolan would be a fantastic choice to direct it. Anyone who enjoyed watching Memento will know Nolan could make a Moon Knight film into a tremendous psychological thriller. Moon Knight’s disassociative identity disorder is the kind of mental health issue Nolan could depict brilliantly. It would also be intriguing to see Nolan’s take on the supernatural side of the Moon Knight story. Moreover, the street-level beatdowns dished out en masse by the character could be choreographed terrifically, similar to the incredible fight scenes in Nolan’s iconic Dark Knight trilogy.
Cable
Introducing Deadpool to the MCU – and the franchise’s general foray into the multiverse – opens the door for Josh Brolin’s Cable, AKA Nathan Summers, to enter the franchise. Should a Cable film be made, Nolan would be a superb candidate to direct it. The director has a penchant for creative use of the concept of time. Cable’s exploits as a time traveler lend themselves perfectly to that. Additionally, Cable is a gritty and particularly violent character. Nolan loves a gritty vigilante movie, as the Dark Knight trilogy proved, and a Cable adventure with him at the helm would undoubtedly make for a thrilling viewing experience. The director’s aggressive and abrasive use of sound would also be ideal in this instance.
Sentry
Sentry, AKA Robert Reynolds, is coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The character will debut in 2025’s Thunderbolts, though who will play him is unknown since The Walking Dead’s Steven Yeun left the project. If he becomes a mainstay in the franchise and gets a movie, bringing Christopher Nolan on board to direct it would be a smart move. Sentry is a massively morally conflicted character, and Nolan does those so well – look no further than Oppenheimer for a great example of that. Reynolds has a fractured mind and a powerful evil side that manifests as a creature known as the Void, which Nolan would have a field day with. Nolan also loves scientific subject matter. Sentry’s powers are science-based, and his adventures potentially involve space travel – Interstellar, anyone? – so it all comes together for a perfect Nolan project.
Doctor Doom
An MCU Doctor Doom origin movie directed by Christopher Nolan would be the stuff comic book fans’ dreams are made of. Handing Nolan the reins to flesh out the iconic character from scratch would be wise. Doom is a wealthy genius, similar to Bruce Wayne – with whom Nolan did a brilliant cinematic job – only far more morally ambiguous. Nolan would nail the moral complexities of the character and use his love of scientific subject matter to delve deep into his technological genius. Moreover, the director’s striking visuals would lend itself perfectly to Doom’s mystical side. The aesthetics of his spells could look mesmerizing under Nolan’s direction. A Nolan Doctor Doom film could be the most fantastic comic book title ever produced.
