Marvel’s Fantastic Four reboot hit a snag back in April when Spider-Man: No Way Home director Jon Watts parted ways with the project. Watts had been attached to the movie since December 2020, so now it seems that the House of Ideas is having to go back to the drawing board with its plans to relaunch its First Family in the MCU. Who knows exactly what Kevin Feige has in mind for the film, then, but what we can say is that he’s definitely thinking big.
Variety’s Justin Kroll has shared his latest intel on the FF situation on Twitter, revealing that Marvel’s search for a new director is going slower than fans might think. According to Kroll’s source, it’s unlikely that someone to replace Watts will be found before Labor Day (September 5).
As Kroll says, the problem is that Feige has such a long list of candidates for the job. The insider can’t say who any of the filmmakers being eyed are, but the studio is allegedly “taking a lot of shots” at some “big names” in the industry.
Kroll’s source claims that Feige enjoyed the more hands-off approach he was able to take with a veteran like Sam Raimi on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so he’s looking for another trusted pair of hands to steer Fantastic Four for him.
It’s unclear if Feige is specifically looking for a director with experience in the world of superhero blockbusters or just a well-respected filmmaker in general. It’s possibly the latter, as Kroll’s source indicates that Marvel’s punts at these leading Hollywood filmmakers might not come to anything, suggesting that they may be reluctant to do a Marvel flick.
After 2015’s Fant4stic was plagued with clashes between its studio — Fox — and its director — Josh Trank — it’s no surprise that Marvel is looking to have a smooth production for this fourth Fantastic Four film. Sadly, it sounds like fans will have to sit tight for a while until further updates arrive.