Marvel is once again looking for a director for its upcoming film Fantastic Four Film that introduces the legendary group of superheroes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Deadline notes that Jon Watts has withdrawn from the project. The reason for the departure of Watts, who has become a favorite within the MCU after a trilogy of Spiderman Films that culminated in tremendous success No way homeHe is said to want a break from superhero films for the time being. There is no drama between the director and Marvel,
TIED TOGETHER: Andrew Garfield Responds to Spider-Man: No Way Home Fake Butt Claims
“Working with Jon on the Spiderman Filming has been a real pleasure,” Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and co-president Louis D’Esposito said in a statement. “We’ve been excited to continue our work with him to bring the Fantastic Four to the MCU, but we understand and support his reasons for stepping down. We are optimistic that at some point we will have the opportunity to work together again.”
Meanwhile, Watts said that “three makes Spiderman Filming has been an incredible and life changing experience for me. I am eternally grateful to have been a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the past seven years. I am confident that we will work together again and I can’t wait to see the amazing vision for Fantastic Four brought to life.”
Loosely based on Marvels Ultimate Fantastic Four comic series, the previous one Fantastic Four The 2015 film, starring Miles Teller and Michael B. Jordan, was mired in controversy from the start, including a controversial tweet from director Josh Trank, sent out on the day of the film’s premiere, lamenting the quality of the final cut. The film grossed just $56 million at the domestic box office, out of a worldwide total of $167 million. It reportedly cost about $120 million to manufacture.
Prior to this release, Tim Story directed two big-budget releases from 2005 Fantastic Four and 2007 Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, which grossed $619 million worldwide. Roger Corman infamously produced a completed but shelved version of The fantastic Four in 1994, which was never meant to be seen and was only made to secure the rights for a future version, although bootlegs are rife.