For better or worse, there’s been an undeniable trend in Hollywood for relatively new talents to be put behind the helm of big budget franchises. It happened with Colin Trevorrow when he went to work on Jurassic World following his work on Safety Not Guaranteed, it happened with Gareth Edwards when he went to work on Godzilla after Monsters, and of course, we can’t forget Josh Trank helming the Fantastic Four film after taking on Chronicle.

The mentality behind that is that if a filmmaker can make a film for a smaller budget, so long as the storytelling is sound, they can also helm a much bigger film. Of course, studios like Marvel are also careful to surround the relatively inexperienced director with masters of their own crafts, so that they don’t flounder under the weight of the visual effects. It’s not a bad strategy, and allows studios to spend less on a director, and more on the flare around the project itself.

Gone are the days where a director slowly ascends up the budgetary slope.

With that in mind, one has to wonder if Ben Wheatley, the mastermind behind such weird, dark films as Kill List, High-Rise, and most recently, Free Fire, will ever receive the call to helm a Marvel flick.

While attending a special screening of Free Fire, Wheatley Skyped in, and was asked that very same question. He answered with a very tongue-in-cheek response:

“They usually take people after two films, and this is film six. So you can safely say they’ll not come f**king knocking on my door.”

Indeed given Wheatley’s already-long list of films on his filmography, it would seem that the big studios aren’t rushing over to usher Wheatley in to direct their next big franchise. Additionally, Wheatley already seems to have his plate full. We know he already has his next couple films planned, including a Hard Boiled adaptation, so it would seem like there’s no room for a standard superhero film on his docket. 

Plus, let’s face it. Given his unique style, we doubt his fans would want him to go in that direction anytime soon, anyways. In the era of big blockbusters, his films are a breath of fresh air, and even if it’s not mainstream, there are plenty of films fans who could agree that the industry is healthier for it.

What do you think? Would you like to see Ben Wheatley direct a superhero film? Let us know in the comments down below!

Be sure to keep an eye out for our full interview with Ben Wheatley later today!