Following Jon Watt’s departure from the upcoming Fantastic Four film, the project may be about to secure a new director in Matt Shakman, according to a report from Deadline. The 47-year-old American director, within the world of Marvel, is best known for directing Wandavision. The success of the limited series has spawned a handful of highly successful TV shows for Marvel’s Phase 4 and earned Shakman multiple Emmy nominations for his work on Wandavision.
Shakman has a wealth of other credits to his name, with stints on Game of Thrones, (the acclaimed “Spoils of War” episode from Season 7), The Boys, Succession, The Good Wife, Revenge, Fargo, and Mad Men. Sources close to Deadline have suggested discussions are in progress, and despite Marvel’s silence and no formal offer on the table, the conversations are heading in the right direction.
Production is scheduled to begin in 2023 on Fantastic Four. As for now, cast details and plot information remain under wraps, and for those who’ve seen Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, there’s no indication as to whether John Krasinski, who appeared in a cameo as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic will return to the MCU to reprise the role.
In the meantime, Shakman will play a part in bringing the King Kong and Godzilla universe, otherwise known as the MonsterVerse, to cinemas. Until very recently, Shakman was also scheduled to direct the upcoming fourth Star Trek film – but due to scheduling conflicts, he was forced to bow out from the project.
A statement from Paramount Pictures described him as “an incredibly talented filmmaker, and we regret the timing didn’t align for him to direct our upcoming Star Trek film.”
Schedules permitting, Fantastic Four is due to debut in cinemas on November 8, 2024. For everything Marvel and more – FlickLuster will keep you covered with a wealth of new superhero stuff – including details that the Fantastic Four film will not be an origin story.
