Well, the answer is actually pretty simple. Relationship with Robert Downey Jr aside, Black wants to direct and with only one directing effort under his belt the best way to earn himself the freedom to do so, and do so the way he wants, is to earn. And, yes sir, Iron Man 3 certainly did that. And now Black is back with The Nice Guys - a Ryan Gosling / Russell Crowe starring action comedy that looks to be completely and purely Black's own.
The red band trailer for this one popped up over the weekend and it is simply fantastic, loaded with the sharp writing and over the top violence that made Black's name in the first place. It's also by far the most engaged and entertaining that I've seen either of his leads in quite a while. Check it out below."The Nice Guys" takes place in 1970s Los Angeles, when down-on-his-luck private eye Holland March (Gosling) and hired enforcer Jackson Healy (Crowe) must work together to solve the case of a missing girl and the seemingly unrelated death of a porn star. During their investigation, they uncover a shocking conspiracy that reaches up to the highest circles of power.