Fans were delighted when it was announced that MCU Spider-Man director Jon Watts would be tackling Fantastic Four. Unfortunately, that’s no longer the case. It’s just been revealed that Jon Watts has withdrawn from his role as director for the upcoming Fantastic Four film.
For those worried that Jon Watts might have a horrible reason for leaving, that’s not the case. It appears that Jon Watts merely wants to take a break from directing superhero films. This makes sense, considering how much work he’s put into the Spider-Man films for Marvel and Sony.
This news comes via Deadline, where they noted the following:
“Nothing sinister here; Watts just needs a break from the superhero realm after completing the Spidey trilogy with Tom Holland and Zendaya. He had expected to make Fantastic Four his next film, the third feature iteration of that franchise and first since Disney acquired Fox, which controlled the franchise. Watts has spent the better part of the last decade directing and promoting the Spider-Man films, after being hired off Cop Car, a small-budget indie thriller that premiered at 2015 Sundance. He needs a breather.”
Kevin Feige released the following statement:
“Collaborating with Jon on the Spider-Man films has been a true pleasure. We were looking forward to continuing our work with him to bring the Fantastic Four into the MCU but understand and are supportive of his reasons for stepping away. We are optimistic that we will have the opportunity to work together again at some point down the road.”
Meanwhile, Jon Watts had this to say:
“Making three Spider-Man films was an incredible and life-changing experience for me. I’m eternally grateful to have been a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for seven years. I’m hopeful we’ll work together again and I can’t wait to see the amazing vision for Fantastic Four brought to life.”
As such, it’ll be exciting to see where Jon Watts takes his career from here, as well as who will take over for Fantastic Four. As for the Spider-Man films, it’s possible that Jon Watts might still return for those after his break. But we’ll have to wait to know more on that front.