It’s always great to see a Marvel director succeed outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ryan Coogler is only 38 and has already had so much success with Black Panther and Creed, but he didn’t always get as much credit as he deserved for making those films what they were. He’s been nominated for two Oscars, but neither was for directing a movie.

Part of the burden of being behind the camera in a world like Marvel is that you’ll be the third most important element to the public, at best. The franchise itself or the actors will be #1 or #2, but in superhero cinema, fans and executives alike see directors as a dime a dozen and easily replaceable. That’s why it’s so wonderful that he’s getting acclaim for his new original movie, Sinners. There’s room for great original works and great franchise works from directors who got their big breaks in the MCU.