With a nearly 50-year acting career,Denzel Washingtonhas collaborated with many of Hollywood’s top directors.The Oscar-winning actorhas appeared in over 50 movies in his career, earning accolades for his gripping, dramatic performances. However, Washington also chooses to work with talented filmmakers and has a few frequent collaborators.
Throughout his career,theGladiator IIactorhas worked with Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, Penny Marshall, and Robert Zemeckis. He’s teamed up with Antoine Fuqua several times, includingTraining DayandThe Equalizerfilms. His upcoming film,Highest 2 Lowest, ishis fifth collaboration with Spike Lee, who directed him to an Oscar nomination inMalcolm X.
Washington, 70, toldToday Show Australiain a 2024 interview that he plans on retiring soon, but wants to"do things [he] hasn’t done"before he stops acting. There are still plenty of filmmakers out there who he hasn’t worked with yet, but could make movie magic if they decided to collaborate. Here are 10 directors Washington should work with before he retires.
10Ryan Coogler
Washington will work with Coogler in Black Panther 3
Coogler is one of Hollywood’s biggest directors, especially after the success ofSinners. The director gained recognition for 2013’sFruitvale Station, then made a name for himself through high-profile projects likeCreedandBlack Panther. He’s a director who knows how to get the best out of his actors, allowing many of his stars to shine even in the midst of an ensemble.
During his 2024 interview, Washington revealed thatone of his upcoming projects isBlack Panther 3. Not many details have been announced for the third film as Marvel hasn’t officially confirmed it, but Coogler did confirm to7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthonythat he’s been speaking to the actor about it “for a long time.”
Regardless ofBlack Panther 3’s status, Coogler and Washington are a match made in heaven. The director knows how to bring dramatic heft to his films, even in more fantastical environments like the MCU. While Washington has never done a superhero movie before, he will thrive in the environment Coogler has created.
9Steven Spielberg
Washington would be perfect for one of his smaller films
Steven Spielberg is the father of the modern blockbuster. He’s best known for hit films likeJaws,Jurassic Park,E.T., and theIndiana Jonesfilms, but he has also created many smaller films that may have flown under people’s radars. Films likeAmistad,The Fabelmans, andThe Postshow his ability to tell more intimate stories that are propelled by drama rather than action.
Washington would excel in any Spielberg film, but his more low-profile flicks may be more of theTraining Dayactor’s style. However, he is showing more willingness to do things outside his normal range. Spielberg’s next film ishis untitled UFO project, and while Washington isn’t in it, he should be at the top of the list for whatever the director does afterward.
8Ava DuVernay
DuVernay tells powerful stories that are perfect for Washington
Washington has starred in many projects that center around challenging historical or fictional issues within the black community. Several films, likeMalcolm X,Glory, andRemember the Titans, feature some of the actor’s best performances in impactful narratives that tackle the civil rights movement, the civil war, and desegregation.
Ava DuVernay is one of Hollywood’s most thought-provoking filmmakers, and continues to create projects that highlight many injustices that have affected communities or continue to. She has been celebrated for her work on films like 2014’sSelmaand 2023’sOrigin, along with the miniseriesWhen They See Us, and the documentary13th.
DuVernay’s next project isn’t confirmed yet, but Washington would be perfect for whatever she has planned. Not only would he provide a great performance, but the powerful narrative would be heightened thanks to the actor’s presence.
7Martin Scorsese
Washington should join his next crime thriller
American Gangster andTraining Dayare two of Washington’s most memorable films, with the latter leading to an Oscar win. He excels in crime thrillers, something that is also Martin Scorsese’s specialty. The director is known for his stylistic gangster-crime films likeGoodfellas,The Departed,The Irishman, andGangs of New York.
His last film,Killers of the Flower Moon, continued his streak of creating award-caliber crime films that expose some of the most despicable people in American history. Scorsese still hasn’t worked with Washington, but their tendencies would work perfectly together. Scorsese has a fascination with exploring flawed, but intriguing individuals, and one of Washington’s strengths is bringing charisma and likability to complex characters.
Scorsese’s next projects include an adaptation ofDevil in the White City, and films centered around Jesus Christ and Frank Sinatra. These projects will likely include Leonardo DiCaprio or Robert De Niro, but Washington is someone who the director should consider working with.
6Quentin Tarantino
It would be a sweet retirement for both parties
Quentin Tarantino has never directed Washington in one of his movies, but the two have worked on another movie before. ThePulp Fictiondirector delivered some uncredited work to the script for 1995’sCrimson Tide, Tony Scott’s submarine action-thriller starring Washington. Reportedly, a feud brewed between Washington and Tarantino over offensive dialogue that the latter suggested for the script.
However, the two buried the hatchet after Washington’s daughter, Katia, worked with Tarantino onDjango Unchained. The director is supposedly only making one more movie before retiring. Originally, it wasmeant to beThe Movie Critic, but that idea was scrapped. If Washington joined his last film, it would be a remarkable way for the two of them to end their careers.
5Barry Jenkins
Jenkins could direct Washington in another best picture winner
Jenkins proved his talent as a filmmaker with his second film,Moonlight. The film won Best Picture at the 89th Academy Awards, as well as Best Supporting Actor for Mahershala Ali and Best Adapted Screenplay. His follow-up, 2018’sIf Beale Street Could Talk, was also highly praised, receiving multiple Oscar nominations. Since 2018, Jenkins has also been busy producing projects like 2022’sAftersunand 2025’sSorry, Baby.
Afterdirecting 2024’sMufasa: The Lion King, Jenkins could be looking to return to telling unique and powerful stories about the black community. Washington would pair well with the director, and it could be another opportunity to add more awards to his mantle. Many actors from his films have received Oscar nominations, and Washington would easily rise to the occasion.
4Christopher Nolan
Denzel wouldn’t be the first in his family to work with Nolan
Christopher Nolan is the king of Hollywood right now. His best picture-winning filmOppenheimermade nearly $1 billion, an impressive feat for an R-rated biopic, and his next film,The Odyssey, is selling out theaters a yearin advance. His films always have fantastic ensembles, yet Washington hasn’t been a part of one.
However, his son, John David Washington, starred in 2020’sTenet, setting up a link between Denzel and the British-American director. While Nolan’s films are typically grand blockbusters, he adds so much style and unique storytelling techniques that make his films distinct.
Washington’s performance inGladiator IIproved he can be a highlight in a film with a massive production scale. Nolan’s films are as epic as it gets, and it would be fascinating to see how the actor fits into one of the director’s worlds. Maybe John David could schedule a meeting between his dad and theInterstellardirector.
3David Fincher
The pair could finally collaborate after a missed opportunity
David Fincher is a versatile filmmaker, but he may be best known for his psychological thrillers that deliver surprising twists and warped storytelling. One of his most famous films isSe7en, a crime thriller starring Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt as two detectives investigating a serial killer who bases his kills off the seven deadly sins.
Washington was initially offered Pitt’s role inSe7enbut turned it down. During a 2018OFF SCRIPTinterview with Jamie Foxx, the actor admitted he found the film to be too"demonic"but regretted declining the offer after watching it. Washington has starred in other psychological thrillers likeThe Bone Collector, so he would have fit right in with Fincher’s film.
There is a chance for the two to work together as Fincher is still active in Hollywood. He’s currently working on an English spinoff ofSquid Gameand theOnce Upon A Time in Hollywoodsequel titledThe Adventures of Cliff Booth, neither of which Denzel is scheduled to appear in, though.
2Denis Villeneuve
The director excels at placing his actors in new territory
Villeneuve has brought out unique performances from many of Hollywood’s best actors. For example, Hugh Jackman wasn’t known for his harsher, more disturbing roles, butPrisonersexposed another side of the actor that people had not seen. In theDunefilms, Timothée Chalamet showcased a dominating performance that proved he could have a commanding presence.
Washington doesn’t need to prove anything regarding his versatility, but he did say he’d like to do things he hasn’t before he retires. Villeneuve has plenty of open projects for the actor to join, includingDune: Part 3,the next James Bond film, a Cleopatra film, an adaptation ofRendezvous with Ramaby Arthur C. Clarke, and a science fiction film based on a short story by South Korean writer Kim Bo-young.
1Jordan Peele
Washington could explore the horror genre
1998’sFallenis the only horror film that Washington has starred in. The actor played a Philadelphia police detective who investigates a series of similar murders with a supernatural twist. Horror isn’t Washington’s specialty, butJordan Peele is the perfect director to bring him backto the genre. The director is a unique talent whose films are often a blend of different styles.
His last film,Nope, was a science-fiction drama mixed with a horror western. His films are typically funny, and provide the necessary character depth to keep audiences invested. They also contain meaningful messages and themes, pushing them past standard horror fare.Denzel Washingtonwould fit well in Peele’s world, and it would allow him to try something he typically doesn’t do.
