Summary
The Fantastic Four are coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but thanks to a combination of Hollywood strikes, upheavals at Disney, and the slowing of Marvel Studio’s output, there is doubt over when exactly that will be. Fans have been anticipating a casting announcement for the movie since it was first teased as the first Phase 6 offering from the MCU, but after many rumors, which have included almost every prominent actor and actress at some point, there has still been no definite idea of when we will know who will be taking on the roles of Marvel’s First Family.
However, while promoting the upcoming Apple TV+ Godzilla series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, director Matt Shakman has given a positive update on how the Fantastic Four is now coming together. In an interview with Collider’s Steve Weintraub, Shakman revealed that everything is seemingly in place for the film to get cameras rolling in the UK in Spring 2024. With that in mind, it cannot be too much longer before we finally discover who will be playing Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm, and exactly what their first MCU story will be about.
While he was not spilling the beans on any of that, Shakman did explain that the movie is going to be “unlike anything we’ve seen” in other Marvel movies, and shared his enthusiasm to get started on the project. He 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.”
Related: Fantastic Four: Why MCU Fans Should Get Hyped for the Reboot
The last couple of years have been tough for Marvel Studios when it comes to pleasing their demanding fan base. Following the arrival of the stunning Avengers: Endgame, a superhero movie that blew away so many expectations and box office records, Phase 4 of the comic book franchise came as a lull that caused more disappointment than excitement.
Although some fans expected things to take a step back after the cataclysmic events of Endgame, others wanted the MCU to somehow continue to push out hugh, epic blockbuster movies time and time again. Instead, Phase 4 was a restart for the franchise in many ways, as it began a new journey towards its next Endgame-level event several years down the line.
The Fantastic Four is one of the movies that will come towards the end of the Multiverse Saga, which spans Phases 4 to 6, and culminates with Avengers: Secret Wars. Although this is the third iteration of the Fantastic Four seen on the big screen, it is also the one that comes with the highest standards to achieve. While the original Fantastic Four movies in the early 2000s were popular and successful at the time, the disaster that was the 2015 reboot is best left in the past, and the MCU version of the superhero group cannot falter in the same way. That is certainly a lot of pressure on whoever steps into the roles this time around, and Shakman in the director’s chair.
Fantastic Four is expected to arrive in cinemas on May 2, 2025.
The Fantastic Four has a new filming start date, and director Matt Shakman is desperate to get started on his “different” MCU movie. Read More