The Director of 'Thunderbolts*' Made His Directorial Debut With an Unexpected Sci-Fi Movie That Proved He Was the Right Choice for the Job

This week, Jake Schreier will bring one of Marvel's dark horse superhero ensembles to the big screen with Thunderbolts*. The most intriguing thing about Thunderbolts* is how it's being marketed, as its collection of antiheroes functions less like the Avengers and more like the Guardians of the Galaxy. This isn't the first time Schreier has brought a unique blend of chaos and heartbreak to his moviemaking efforts, though. His very first film, Robot & Frank, would establish many of the elements that show up in his future works, including Thunderbolts*, Beef, and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. Robot & Frank takes place in the distant future, where Frank Ward (Frank Langella) is struggling with isolation and the fact that he's been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Frank's son Hunter (James Marsden) winds up buying a robot (voiced by Peter Sarsgaard) to help keep him company, and the two wind up bonding...but not in the way Hunter thinks. In his youth, Frank was a skilled thief, and he winds up seeking the robot's help in committing a series of heists.