It takes one to know one, and good directors certainly know how to spot each other in a crowd. 

James Gunn has established himself as a very good director, and he has an idea as to who should be the next in line to helm The Batman franchise.

As everyone surely knows by now, Ben Affleck has stepped down as the director of the highly-anticipated DC film The Batman. He will still write the film - and star as Bruce Wayne - but the director's chair has been left empty.

While there was a rumored short-list of five directors who could take over, James Gunn had an idea of his own.

The Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 director was doing a Q&A; on his Facebook page, and one fan chose to ask him about The Batman situation. 

Gunn responded to the question with this statement, "If Jeremy Saulnier was interested, he'd be a good choice."

For those who don't know, Saulnier is a filmmaker on the rise, and one who has really been impressing folks with his inventive style. His first two films, Blue Ruin and Green Room, were both psychological thrillers, deeply loved by both critics and fans.

Obviously James Gunn doesn't have any say in who Warner Bros. hires to helm The Batman, but this is a guy who knows his stuff. Just like Saulnier, the director rose to the top after making waves with his indie horror films.

Gunn obviously thinks Saulnier is talented, and it's hard for anyone to disagree.

More DCEU: Matt Reeves Reportedly On The Batman Director Shortlist | 5 Directors that Could Replace Ben Affleck | Why WB Should Respect Ben Affleck's Vision | Green Lantern Rumored For Justice League | Zack Snyder Reveals New Look At Wonder Woman In Justice League | Ben Affleck Assembles The Batman League In All Batmen Mashup | Amy Adams Talks Batman V Superman Extended Cut And Justice League

In Justice League, fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.

The DCEU continues when Wonder Woman opens in theaters on June 2, 2017, followed by Justice League on November 17, 2017; Aquaman on July 27, 2018; Shazam on April 5, 2019; Justice League 2 on June 14, 2019; Cyborg on April 3, 2020; and Green Lantern Corps on July 24, 2020. The Flash, The Batman, Dark Universe and Man of Steel 2 are currently without release dates.