Peter Parker has superpowers, but he still has trouble making rent every month. I identify with that in a way that I don't with, like, Superman, for instance. He's just less interesting because he's too perfect.

Peter Parker has superpowers, but he still has trouble making rent every month. I identify with that in a way that I don't with, like, Superman, for instance. He's just less interesting because he's too perfect.

You'd think I'd be more comfortable with the action, but actually I'm more comfortable with the drama. I mean you get more instant feedback on what you are seeing and you know if it's working or it's not working.

I like the little chess match of how people move through space. I'm not comparing myself to Michelangelo with this analogy, but he said when he sculpts it's like finding the sculpture within. It feels that way when you are with actors, too. There's a natural way to do this with a natural language that flows and feels like real people talking. And you've just got to find it. So I enjoy that part of the process.

There's a little burst of creativity being director followed by lots and lots of meetings and talking to people and more meetings. It's scary. And I can't believe anybody actually lets me do it. But it's going well so far.

I'm friends with [David] Fincher. [James] Cameron gives me advice. I know a fair amount of directors who have been through it, and they all felt pretty confident that I would be fine when I got my shot. So their confidence made me feel confident.

I got into comics on John Byrne's run of the X-Men and the Dark Phoenix Saga. I got in around X-Men 95, right when it turned to the new X-Men. So that whole family, all those characters are kind of my favorite characters, just the X-Men world.