One of the first big reboots announced by Marvel Studios after Disney acquired 21st Century Fox was “Fantastic Four,” and they would go even further by attaching director Jon Watts (“Spider-Man: No Way Home”) for the film. However, Watts had to exit when his dance card got too full with the new high-profile Disney+ series “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” and a Hollywood fixer film that stars Brad Pitt and George Clooney. A director replacement is said to be a high priority for the studio.
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Marvel’s big panel at San Diego Comic-Con didn’t reveal a lot about the film itself, but in a big surprise, announced that “Fantastic Four” would be arriving as part of Phase 6 with a November 8, 2024 release date.
“Fantastic Four” consists of four heroes with Mister Fantastic, The Invisible Woman, The Human Torch, and Hulk-level strong hero Ben Grimm, aka, The Thing, who get their powers while on a scientific mission in outer space. Tatiana Maslany’s She-Hulk and Inhumans member Crystal have also been part of the team
While actor John Krasinski (“A Quiet Place”) was cast as Reed Richards in “Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness,” director Sam Raimi had indicated in the film’s audio commentary (via Comic Book Resources) that the casting was nothing but fan service, which likely means we might not see Krasinski in the role again.
The history of “Fantastic Four” on the big screen goes back to 1992 when legendary B-movie producer Roger Corman was behind a feature film that was never released to the public. 20th Century Fox would take their own crack at the franchise twice with the two Tim Story-directed films with the last one giving us the Silver Surfer and then a reboot from Josh Trank that is long-forgotten.
As of right now there’s no director, writer or cast for “Fantastic Four,” but we do have a fall 2024 date and with D23 coming up in September, we could learn more soon.