While Marvel has been the real dominant force in getting superheroes to the big screen in recent years, in reality DC actually had Marvel beat in the live action game for many years. And it makes sense, as while Marvel's interconnectedness was the big draw for them, it was DC's vast of catalog of legendary characters like Superman and Batman that gave them the edge for decades.
And when it comes to making those films, it's always a process as directors come and go on projects. It's always fun though to look at what could have been, had these filmmakers gotten to make the movie they wanted to, especially when some of these were so close to happening.
Ben Affleck
While Ben Affleck may have been the face of the DC Extended Universe for a short amount of time, in reality Affleck very nearly put his stamp on the series in a much more distinct way. While he had been considered for Man of Steel at one point, when it came time to do a solo Batman film within the new universe letting him direct himself felt like a no-brainer.
Alas, it never came to pass. Despite having gotten to the writing stage and been set up in films prior, Affleck's battles with personal demons, negative reception to the direction of the universe, and Justice League's box office disappointment basically put the breaks on his solo Batman film, which would have been set after the events of Justice League and followed a battle with Deathstroke. The film was later retooled into Matt Reeves' The Batman, which became unconnected to the extended universe.
Darren Aronofsky
While not the only superhero film Darren Aronofsky has been attached to (he was at one point going to direct The Wolverine), Aronofsky's ill-fated Batman: Year One adaptation is still one of the great superhero films that never happened in the same vein as Tim Burton's Superman Lives. Aronofsky's script, which was only somewhat loosely based on the comic of the same name, would have been an R-rated take on the character and been a brooding, dark film with realistic violence.
The film never made it past pre-production, however, as while Warner Bros. initially loved the pitch and was happy to hire Aronofsky, production stalled out as disagreements with the direction made the film languish in development hell. In 2002, the film was abandoned in favour of a Batman Vs. Superman film directed by Andrew Kevin Walker... another film that would never happen.
Gareth Evans
One of our premiere action directors, Gareth Evans very nearly did what could have been one of the coolest superhero films in recent memory. Having teamed up with Joe Manganiello, the two were attached to make a solo Deathstroke film that was inspired by Korean noir films like Oldboy and Memories of Murder, and was going to be a backstory film for the character that led up to his appearance in Affleck's solo Batman film.
The project was canned in 2021, however, after multiple delays and zero updates on its status. Warner Bros. reportedly did not consider the project a priority, and the cancellation of Affleck's Batman film likely also played a part in cancellation.
George Lucas
Before he directed Star Wars, George Lucas had directed a small film called American Graffiti, which ended up being a massive hit box office wise and propelled him to super stardom within the directing world. And while Star Wars was going to be his next project, it could have very nearly been a Superman film instead.
Lucas was approached to direct Superman: The Movie in the 70s, and very nearly took the job. However, he eventually declined in favour of doing Star Wars, and the rest is history. Richard Donner took the job in his stead, and the final film we did get ended up becoming a classic in its own right. All is well that ends well!
George Miller
Prior to the current DC Extended Universe and even before the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Warner Bros was prepping something huge. Having plans to make a Justice League film as the start to a bigger franchise, the project, then titled Justice League: Mortal, was so close to actually happening, and it was to be done by none other than George Miller.
In fact, the film was firmly about to begin production when the 2007-2008 writers srtrike occurred, leaving the film in limbo and forcing production to be delayed. The massive success of The Dark Knight later that year prompted Warner Bros. to shift gears towards standalone features instead, canceling what could have been an all timer superhero film in the process.
Joe Dante
While Tim Burton's Batman film ended up being the precursor to the superhero boom of the late 90s to early 2000s, several attempts were made prior to it involving several big name directors. One of the directors that was attached at one point was Joe Dante of Gremlins fame, whose version was written by Tom Mankiewicz and was reportedly a bit campier then the version we got, focusing on the origins of Batman and Robin with The Joker and Rupert Thorne as the villains.
This version never got off the ground, however, as the film went through nine separate rewrites and could never get a cohesive vision across until Tim Burton was hired. Burton later dumped Mankiewicz's script, rewriting it with Sam Hamm to make the film we know today.
Matthew Vaughn
While no stranger to comic book fare, having worked on X-Men: First Class, Kick-Ass, and the Kingsman movies, Matthew Vaughn almost did a Superman film in the wake of Superman Returns. Warner Bros. was looking for a reboot after that film underperformed, and Vaughn pitched a three-film, eight-hour long epic about Superman from his birth to his death with veteran comic writer Mark Millar.
The pitch was rejected for unknown reason, and instead the film that became Man of Steel began to take shape. Still, one can't help but wonder just how ambitious Vaughn's vision was, especially since he's still on the shortlist for several superhero projects to this day.
Michelle MacLaren
While Zack Snyder and David Ayer were facing their own difficulties with their respective DCEU films, Warner Bros. hired Michelle MacLaren to make the first solo Wonder Woman film for the studio. MacLaren had already showcased incredible talent on TV with Breaking Bad, winning several Emmys as well as multiple directing nominations under her belt.
However, there were disagreements with the studio over the direction the film was taking, and MacLaren left the project. Patty Jenkins would later step in to take over, and the film later became the DCEU's first critical hit under her eye.
Rick Famuyiwa
The director of acclaimed indie drama Dope and many episodes of The Mandalorian, Rick Famuyiwa is a relative newcomer but has already made a name for himself as a strong director in his own right. So much so that he was initially attached as one of the many names eventually attached to the ill-fated and long delayed The Flash, of which his version was going to be a darker take on the character and feature Cyborg in a supporting role.
The failure of Justice League put the entire DCEU into overhaul, however, and Famuyiwa ended up leaving the project after Warner Bros. began retooling the project to work as a soft reboot of their franchise. Andy Muschietti was hired in his place, and the film he shot has still yet to be released.
Wes Craven
In one of the more interesting what ifs of the superhero directing world, we very nearly had a superhero film directed by horror master Wes Craven. Superman IV: The Quest For Peace, a film that was seen a last ditch attempt to cash in on the franchise, initially had Wes Craven attached to direct under Cannon Films.
However, due to a clause in his contract to return, Christopher Reeve had final say on director, and Reeve did not get along with Craven in the slightest, thus removing him from the project. Sidney J. Furie directed the film in his place, and the final product is widely seen as one of the worst superhero films ever made.