Making a sequel without the original director can be a tricky thing, but some of the best sequels of all time have seen someone else come in to give a new take. There seems to be a shared consensus that a franchise works best with one vision guiding it from beginning to end. For example, it is impossible to imagine anyone else but Christopher Nolan doing one of the entries in The Dark Knight trilogy. However, sometimes a new voice is just what a franchise needs.

There are some long-delayed sequels like Blade Runner 2049 that have made the director switch but maintained the spirit of the original. There are also some examples in the MCU where new directors helped boost a struggling franchise. There are also some extremely successful movies that defied expectations with a sequel that managed to be just as great with someone new at the helm. While rare, these sequels prove that a new director isn’t always a bad thing.

10

Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (1982)

Directed By Nicholas Meyer

By the time the first Star Trek movie was released, the sci-fi series had already gained a cult following. However, despite pᴀssionate fans, Star Trek: The Motion Picture was met with a rather lukewarm reception, with many pointing to the slow pace of the movie and a dull story as its major weaknesses. Given the poor reception, it is not surprising that director Robert Wise did not return, and Nicholas Meyer was chosen to replace him.

Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan also removed series creator Gene Roddenberry from a creative role on the movie, yet still connected to the original series, serving as a sequel to the classic episode “Space Seed”. Meyer clearly knew what was needed to get the franchise back on track, as Wrath of Khan is a much faster-paced and exciting installment, boosted by a terrific villain and some emotional stakes. To date, many regard Wrath of Khan as the best Star Trek movie.

9

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Directed By Taika Waiтιтi

Despite being one of the founding members of the Avengers, Thor’s solo movies in the first two phases of the MCU were largely seen as forgettable. The first Thor was an enjoyable but oddly small-scale fantasy adventure from Kenneth Branagh, while Thor: The Dark World from director Alan Taylor was seen as one of the earliest misfires from the MCU. It was clear that Thor’s third movie needed to take things in a new direction.

Taika Waiтιтi proved to be as different a direction as you could imagine as he brought a wacky sense of humor to Thor: Ragnarok. The movie unexpectedly ended up being the funniest MCU movie while really letting Chris Hemsworth shine as the God of Thunder. While this approach didn’t work as well for Thor: Love and Thunder, Thor: Ragnarok reimagined the hero for the better.

8

Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Directed By Alfonso Cuarón

When the Harry Potter movie franchise kicked off its story of the young boy wizard, Chris Columbus seemed like an ideal choice to direct, as he had helmed iconic children’s movies, like Home Alone. However, after he stepped away from the franchise following the first two movies, it became necessary for a filmmaker who could handle the darker direction that the franchise was heading in.

Following his Oscar-nominated erotic drama Y tu mamá también, Alfonso Cuarón seemed like a bit of an unusual choice for the fantasy franchise, but he injected new life into Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The movie has a truly distinct and energized feel compared to the other movies, while also bringing in some necessary character development as the characters get older. While Cuarón ​​​​​​never returned to the franchise, he delivered one of its strongest entries.

7

Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes (2014)

Directed By Matt Reeves

Rise of the Planet of the Apes surprised a lot of people, as a prequel to Planet of the Apes didn’t seem like a necessary story to tell. However, director Rupert Wyatt delivered a hugely entertaining adventure movie about the intelligent ape Caesar (Andy Serkis) leading a rebellion to free the other oppressed apes of the world. However, that was just the beginning of the potential the new Planet of the Apes franchise had.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes picks up in the aftermath of the ape rebellion, with much of the human population wiped out by a virus. However, Matt Reeves’ world-building in the sequel makes for a much richer and more epic story that showcases the continuing struggles of the ape rebellion, including dissent from within. It is a big, ambitious blockbuster that delivers on excitement and emotion.

6

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Directed By Joe & Anthony Russo

Joe Johnston’s old-school style of filmmaking worked great for Captain America: The First Avenger, as it was a thrilling World War II adventure movie. He also helped to make Captain America a character who could work in a real-world setting without seeming too silly. However, a new approach was needed for the sequel, which would explore Steve Rogers’ new reality in the 21st century.

Joe and Anthony Russo certainly didn’t seem like the obvious choices for Captain America: The Winter Soldier, as they were mostly known for their work in sitcoms, like Community and Arrested Development. However, they proved themselves immediately with the more hard-hitting fight sequences as well as the tone of a paranoid thriller. This not only redefined Captain America in the MCU but also established the Russos as the go-to directors within the cinematic universe.

5

The Bourne Supremacy (2004)

Directed By Paul Greengrᴀss

Matt Damon was known for powerful dramas before he earned his action movie star credentials in The Bourne Idenтιтy. Director Doug Liman turned the spy thriller into a big hit despite the movie’s troubled production. However, while Liman deserves credit for kicking off the franchise, it was director Paul Greengrᴀss who really made the Bourne franchise what it was.

Greengrᴀss was known for realistic dramas by the time he took on The Bourne Supremacy, and his grounded and gritty style proved surprisingly perfect for the action movie. The handheld camera gave the movie a distinct feel and made the fight sequences all the more impactful. He also delivered a car chase sequence that even bested the excellent one from the first movie. Along with the action, the sequel delved deeper into the morally grey aspects of Damon’s protagonist.

4

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Directed By Denis Villeneuve

Blade Runner is one of the most influential sci-fi movies of all time, with Blade Runner 2049 director Ridley Scott creating an aesthetic with his vision of a future that inspired many movies that followed. The mix of noir storytelling and sci-fi also worked brilliantly. However, while Scott was interested in exploring the various cuts of Blade Runner, he seemed less interested in returning to the story.

While it would seem like no other filmmaker could make a Blade Runner movie to compete with Scott’s vision, Denis Villeneuve was bold enough to take on the task. Not only did Villeneuve succeed in capturing Scott’s approach, but he and cinematographer Roger Deakins expanded the world with their own arresting visuals. More impressively, Blade Runner 2049 does exactly what a sequel is meant to do in building on what came before but telling a completely new story that is filled with thrills and emotion rather than just callbacks.

3

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Directed By Joseph Kosinski

Top Gun is one of the defining movies of Tom Cruise’s career and the role that made him a true box office star. However, despite its iconic status, it never felt like a movie that was in desperate need of a follow-up. This was especially true as more time had pᴀssed since its 80s feel was starting to feel more and more outdated, as well as the entire concept of manned fighter planes in the military. With the death of Tony Scott, it seemed decided there would be no sequel.

However, Cruise began to develop the movie with his trademark determination, bringing in director Joseph Kosinski, who perfectly captured the style of Scott’s filmmaking from the first movie while bringing it into the 21st century in a thrilling way. The more immersive midair sequences gave the audience a thrill ride in a way that couldn’t be done in the original movie. Top Gun: Maverick blew audiences away as a superior sequel and a mᴀssive box office hit.

2

Aliens (1986)

Directed By James Cameron

Another Ridley Scott sci-fi classic is Alien, a pitch-perfect horror movie set in the isolated darkness of space. Ridley Scott expertly builds the tension and uses the claustrophobic feeling of the atmosphere while also delivering one of the greatest movie monsters of all time. However, the best sequel in the entire Alien franchise manages to follow Scott’s brilliant original by going in a much different direction.

In Aliens, James Cameron switched out the tense horror feel of the movie with a bombastic action movie approach. The result is one of the most entertaining popcorn movies ever made, with sequences of terrific suspense, crowd-pleasing moments, and a great ensemble of characters. It was a risky gamble from Cameron, but it paid off beautifully.

1

Star Trek: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Directed By Irvin Kershner

When it comes to the original Star Wars trilogy, there are probably a lot of people who are under the ᴀssumption that George Lucas directed all three movies. While Lucas is rightfully seen as the overseer of the entire trilogy, as its creator and writer, he actually only directed the first movie. While A New Hope set the tone for the entire saga, there are many who feel the best Star Wars movie was delivered by another filmmaker.

For The Empire Strikes Back, Lucas turned the directing duties over to Irvin Kershner. It was reported that Lucas was unhappy with how dark the sequel turned out to be, but that is one of the aspects of The Empire Strikes Back that is praised the most. The story and characters are much richer and more complex, with real emotional stakes involved, rather than just a fight between good and evil.