Despite its previous versions, the Fantastic Four has yet to reach its full potential. The Roger Corman 1990s adaptation was dubbed a "terrible installment," and being followed by two Fox movies in the 2000s that failed to pass the mediocre level didn't help either.
The latest 2015 release is widely regarded as one of the worst superhero films of the modern era. It’s obvious that Marvel’s first family needs to redeem itself before they ultimately vanish from the MCU due to ineffectiveness.
In April, the reboot lost Jon Watts as its director, but WandaVision director Matt Shakman stepped in to replace him. After this announcement, the fans are left wondering about the current development of the installment; however, fellow MCU director Peyton Reed relayed a promising update about the project’s production.
Related: Marvel Studios Has Found Its Writers for Fantastic Four
In an interview with Somos Geeks to promote Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Reed dismissed the idea that he was sorry for not having the chance to create his interpretation of Marvel’s first family, noting that his passion for it translated into directing Ant-Man 3.
“No, no, no, listen, I developed Fantastic Four 22 years ago for about a year when it was way pre-Marvel. And at that time, Fox didn’t want to make the movie as sort of big as these movies now are, so I think I sort of channeled my passion for Fantastic Four into the Ant-Man movies, because they’re both you know they’re both stories about families of superheroes.” he explained.
According to reports, Reed originally pitched the idea to reset and revamp the Fantastic Four, but it was shelved due to competing visions between him and 20th Century Fox. “It felt like they sort of wanted to make a B-movie out of it. So we parted ways,” he said.
The Ant-Man 3 director also expressed his excitement for Shakman’s production, as he was fortunate to get a glimpse of the concept art and was very impressed by what he saw.
He revealed, “Matt Shakman is gonna do great.. I’ve seen initial artwork for the Fantastic Four - stuff around the Marvel offices… it’s gonna be great.”
No casting has been officially announced by the studio, but some persistent rumors include Jodie Comer as Sue Storm and Adam Driver as Reed Richards or Doctor Doom. Fans are also demanding The Office's John Krasinski reprise his role as team leader Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic.
Kransiski’s on-and-off-screen wife, Edge of Tomorrow's Emily Blunt, has also been fan-cast to play Richards' wife Sue Storm, aka Invisible Woman, but Blunt dismissed the idea in 2021.
Despite the cast and plot remaining as mystery, fans can only hope that it would be worth the wait.
Fantastic Four arrives in theaters on February 14, 2025.
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