Joaquim Dos Santos
Portuguese-born American animator who directed major animated series and Spider-Verse.
Joaquim Aranha dos Santos, born in Lisbon, Portugal, and raised in the United States from age four, works as a storyboard artist, designer, director, producer, and writer. He is best recognized for directing episodes of *Justice League Unlimited*, *Avatar: The Last Airbender*, *G.I. Joe: Resolute*, *The Legend of Korra*, and *Voltron: Legendary Defender*—the last of which he also co-ran as showrunner. He co-directed the 2023 film *Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse*.
Santos began as a storyboard artist on *Justice League* and was promoted when the series was renamed for its third season. He directed half of *Justice League Unlimited*’s episodes, including its finale, alongside Dan Riba. He joined *Avatar: The Last Airbender* midway through its second season as a storyboard artist, then directed episodes in the third season, including the final two parts of the four-part series finale. On the sequel *The Legend of Korra*, he co-directed the entire first season with Ki Hyun Ryu and served as co-executive producer for the whole run.
He was supervising director on the miniseries *G.I. Joe: Resolute* and later returned to Warner Bros. Animation to direct two DC Showcase shorts: *The Spectre* and *Jonah Hex*. For *Voltron: Legendary Defender*, he acted as executive producer and co-showrunner with Lauren Montgomery. After co-directing *Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse* with Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson, reports in December 2024 stated he would not return for the sequel *Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse*.
- born
- July 22, 1977
- field
- Animation (storyboard artist, designer, director, producer, writer)
- nationality
- Portuguese-born American
- known_for
- Directing episodes of Justice League Unlimited, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra, Voltron: Legendary Defender, and co-directing Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Quick Facts
- Birth Name
- Joaquim Aranha dos Santos
- Birth Date
- mf=yes · 1977 · 7 · 22
- Birth Place
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Citizenship
- Portugal · United States
- Occupation
- Storyboard artist · designer · director · producer · writer
- Notable Works
- Justice League Unlimited · Avatar: The Last Airbender · G.I. Joe: Resolute · The Legend of Korra · Voltron: Legendary Defender · Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
- Years Active
- 2002–present
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Joaquim Dos Santos was born in Lisbon, Portugal, on July 22, 1977, and moved to the United States at age four, though he spent summers in Portugal. He began his career as a storyboard artist for the animated series Justice League before being promoted in the show's renamed third season. He went on to direct half of the episodes of Justice League Unlimited alongside Dan Riba, including the final episode 'Destroyer.' He joined the staff of Avatar: The Last Airbender in the middle of its second season as a storyboard artist and began directing episodes in the third season, including the last two parts of the four-part series finale. He later co-directed all of the first season of The Legend of Korra alongside Ki Hyun Ryu and served as co-executive producer for the entire series. He also served as supervising director on the mini-series G.I. Joe: Resolute. After that, he moved back to Warner Bros. Animation, where he directed two DC Showcase short films: The Spectre and Jonah Hex. He worked as an executive producer and co-showrunner on Voltron: Legendary Defender with Lauren Montgomery. He co-directed Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse alongside Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson. In December 2024, it was reported that he would not be returning to direct Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.
Reader's Guide
Joaquim Dos Santos has been a significant figure in American animation, particularly in the realm of superhero and fantasy series. His work on Justice League Unlimited helped define the conclusion of the DC Animated Universe, while his contributions to Avatar: The Last Airbender and its sequel The Legend of Korra shaped two of the most acclaimed animated series of the 2000s and 2010s. As co-showrunner of Voltron: Legendary Defender, he helped revive a classic property for a new generation. His co-direction of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse placed him at the center of a landmark animated film that pushed the boundaries of visual storytelling. His career reflects a trajectory from storyboard artist to director and producer, with a consistent focus on serialized, action-oriented animation. The announcement that he would not return for the sequel Beyond the Spider-Verse marks a notable transition in his career.
Did You Know?
- He directed half of the episodes of Justice League Unlimited alongside Dan Riba, including the final episode 'Destroyer.'
- He co-directed all of the first season of The Legend of Korra alongside Ki Hyun Ryu.
- He served as co-showrunner on Voltron: Legendary Defender with Lauren Montgomery.
- In December 2024, it was reported that he would not return to direct Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.
More in Showrunners of animated series 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record