The cornerstone of the Marvel mythos and upcoming MCU film The Fantastic Four will have to find a new director, as Spider-Man: No Way Home director John Watts has stepped down from the project.
Watts, the architect and director of the last three Spider-Man films for Disney/Sony, decided he was not ready to tackle another time-consuming Marvel property which could very well turn into a trilogy (if done right this time).
According to Deadline, the split is an amicable one, with Kevin Feige (president of Marvel Studios) and Louis D’Esposito (co-president of Marvel Studios) sharing in a statement that “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.”
Watts added that “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.”
Watts next project will be for Apple Studios untitled film starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt who play “…rival “fixers” who find themselves simultaneously hired for the same job.”
Stay tuned to Conskipper for more updates on the fate of the Four.