A lot of MCU fans have been looking forward to the Fantastic Four movie, the long-awaited introduction of the First Family in the franchise after the previous attempts back when the rights were owned by 20th Century Fox. So far, the film remains in a long pre-production phase ahead of its planned filming start by earlier next year.
However, it looks like there was a behind-the-scenes shakeup on the project as The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the film is being rewritten as Marvel Studios has tapped Snowpiercer creator Josh Friedman to take over the writing duty for Fantastic Four.
Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer were previously writing the film before the change. The report speculated that this is a sign of a major shift in tone as the duo was known for their comedic sensibilities while Friedman has a more serious approach and is heavily experienced in science-fiction stories.
Matt Shakman is set to direct the film. The casting process is currently underway according to reports. It is expected to kick off Phase Six of the franchise although it is unknown if that remains the same since Marvel Studios is reportedly making some huge changes on their future slate.
Friedman is known as the screenwriter for films such as War of the Worlds, the upcoming Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and has a story credit in the recent blockbuster hit Avatar: The Way of Water and the upcoming sequels. He also co-created the Apple TV+ science-fiction series Foundation.
This is certainly a huge change for the project since it is a sign that the film will be changing gears as also speculated by the report and it is an indication that it might lean heavily into the science-fiction concepts given Friedman's background. For now, let's just wait and see what his involvement has in store.
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Fantastic Four is slated for release in theaters on February 14, 2025. You can check more details about it here.