Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four reboot is currently in development with WandaVision’s Matt Shakman set to direct the movie. The movie is currently on track to be released in 2025, so the creative team is knee-deep in development. They know the story that they are going to tell, and during a recent interview with the director, he teased that this movie is going to be very different than anything we’ve seen in the MCU yet.
His comments are actually intriguing, and I would love nothing more than for Marvel Studios to start thinking outside of the box when it comes to the film’s that they’re making. During an interview with Collider, Shakman said:
“It’s different in so many ways. I wish I could be specific. I wish I could say more. But we are doing things very differently from a story standpoint, from an approach to the filmmaking standpoint, that really fits the material. I wish I could say more. I would love to, but I can’t. But I think it’s going to be unlike anything you’ve seen before, and certainly unlike anything at Marvel that you’ve seen before.”
When talking about the pre-production work that’s been done on the film, he said:
“We have been nonstop. Despite the strikes, yes, we’ve been working with the effects and with production design and building our world, and that’s been incredibly exciting. You know, how do you translate those skills into live-action in dynamic ways? Because some things that work beautifully in John Byrne and Jack Kirby are a little tougher when you’re filming them. How do you make sure that things are exciting but also grounded in a scientific thing, which is also part of the Fantastic Four that I love? There’s some stuff I’m super excited about. I can’t say too much, you know?”
While he can’t say much, he said enough to actually get me excited to see what he and the creative team are planning for this movie. I really do hope that this movie delivers something awesomely unique! I’ve been wanting to see a great Fantastic Four movie, but with the direction that Marvel has been going with their projects, I’ve been a little worried.
When talking about the movie, Kevin Feige said that Marvel’s first family is going to be a big pillar of the future of the MCU. He said:
“The only other one in terms of me personally and my 23-year history is the Fantastic Four. We sort of talked about mutants and that whole aspect to the Marvel world, but Fantastic Four is the foundation for everything that came after in the comics. There’s certainly been versions of it [on screen], but never inhabiting the storytelling of the MCU. And that’s something that is really exciting for us. People will start to hear more about that soon. We plan on that being a big pillar of the MCU going forward, just the way they’ve been in the comics for 50 or 60 years.”
Marvel producer Stephen Broussard previously promised that the film will be a true celebration of the original source material from the comics:
“I wouldn’t presume to know everything about that film; I’m not necessarily working on it. But one of the founding principles of Marvel, going back to Iron Man and the casting of Tony that I think has resonated through today, is to embrace the source material and these comics that have been around forever. They’re older than me, and I’m guessing they’re older than you too. They’ve been around for a while for a reason, [so we] lean into that.”
There’s not much known about the project. Casting is “gearing up,” and the studio is looking to cast Sue Storm first. They will then build the team around her.
Fantastic Four arrives in theaters on February 14, 2025.
