Rumor: 'Game Of Thrones' Director Matt Shakman In Talks To Direct A Marvel Disney+ Series
A new rumor says actor-turned-director Matt Shakman is currently in talks to direct one of the six-episode Disney+ TV shows that Marvel Studios has on its slate. Shakman is primarily known for directing dozens of episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but he also directed one of the best episodes of Game of Thrones, "Spoils of War." (That's the loot train battle episode.)
Read the rumor below, and find out which of the upcoming Marvel shows he won't be directing.
Discussing Film claims that Shakman is up for one of the Marvel Disney+ shows. That site admittedly doesn't have the best track record for breaking accurate news, but The Wrap reporter Umberto Gonzalez confirmed on Twitter that he's heard the same thing. I reached out to Shakman's representatives to confirm, but they simply told me they "cannot confirm or deny that information."
Discussing Film says they couldn't confirm which series Shakman would theoretically be helming, but pegged WandaVision or Loki as the most likely options. /Film has heard that Shakman will not be directing Loki, leaving WandaVision, What If, and Hawkeye as the remaining possibilities. (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which will be the first Disney+/Marvel Studios show to hit the new streaming service, is being directed by The Walking Dead's Kari Skogland.)
Shakman has plenty of sitcom experience, but seems like sort of an odd tonal fit for WandaVision based on what little we know about that series thus far. And since he doesn't have credits directing animation, my personal speculation is that he's aiming to direct Hawkeye, a show that may require his ability to meld top tier drama with impressive action scenes. He blew everyone away with his one-two punch of Game of Thrones episodes, so it makes sense that Marvel would want to work with him on one of these shows. He's exactly the type of director they typically seek out: someone who has a proven track record making quality stuff, but who isn't so big that they'll cause problems for the studio.
Most recently, Shakman directed an episode of the first season of Amazon's superhero series The Boys, an upcoming period drama, and a pilot called The Great.