Fantastic Four director for the MCU speaks out about the “optimistic” reboot

For the Marvel Studios reboot, Fantastic Four director Matt Shakman hinted at a “optimistic” plot.

Fans have been expecting the entrance of Marvel’s Initially Family in the MCU ever since the Fantastic Four logo was first announced in December 2020.

A few clues about the project have leaked out over the past year or two, though facts are still limited. It was finally announced in the fall of last year that Matt Shakman, the director of WandaVision, would also be helming Fantastic Four.

The F4 front has been rather quiet, except from Shakman’s involvement and a few sporadic casting speculations; nonetheless, the blockbuster’s director is now prepared to discuss the title in public.

Teased with First Fantastic Four Plot Details

The Fantastic Four filmmaker, Matt Shakman, finally broke his silence over the impending MCU reboot in an interview with The Wrap.

Shakman likened his previous work on the Star Trek franchise to Fantastic Four while outlining his career trajectory over the last few years in Hollywood. He said that they “both were launched in the ’60s” and that they are both “about optimism and looking to the stars and technology:”

“It’s really a family there and to be able to go back and tackle something that I truly love, and they’re very similar in some ways: they both were launched in the ’60s at the same time, they’re both about optimism and looking to the stars and [how] technology can solve everything, and they’re about family too — the family you have, the family you make. So they’re aligned in many ways and speak to my heart and equally, so I’m excited to be working on ‘Fantastic Four.’”

The director said that he enjoyed working on Star Trek and that it “it would have been an unbelievable pleasure to work” on a future fourth installment of J.J. Abrams’ proposed reboot of the series:

“I had a great time working on ‘Star Trek’ for a little over a year, working closely with J.J. Abrams and everyone at Paramount, and I love that franchise, and I love that cast that J.J. put together, and it would have been an unbelievable pleasure to work with them on the fourth installment there.” 

When Shakman left Star Trek to work on Fantastic Four, he said that it was like “[coming] back home:” Shakman also collaborated with Marvel on WandaVision.

“But movies have different journeys and momentums and and schedules are a little bit mercurial, and so when the ‘Fantastic Four’ opportunity came up, it was just too hard to pass up, and to go back home to Marvel, a place that I worked on ‘WandaVision’ at, with those people who are wonderful collaborators.”

What can we anticipate from Shakman’s Fantastic Four?

Even though the Fantastic Four have already been the subject of blockbuster movies, the news that Shakman is embracing the “optimism” of the group’s early comic adventures should please fans.

Although the three previous Fantastic Four movies (from 2005, 2007, and 2015) included bits of this upbeat storyline, they all merely touched the surface of it. When they made their debut, that foursome tended to gravitate towards more edgy or gloomy tones.

It seems that Shakman’s Fantastic Four concept will emphasise on that more than ever before, much like how early Star Trek or Superman stories included this “look to the stars” sense of amazement.

For the MCU, which the movie will be a part of, that “optimistic” tone makes sense. This franchise, which is typically a touch lighter in tone than some of its rivals, has built its reputation on bringing these vibrant comic characters to life (i.e. the SnyderVerse).

Casting will be the first clue as to what that entails. Fans will fully understand what Shakman means when he draws comparisons like the one he did above once they see how this team will appear on film.

The Fantastic Four will make its theatrical debut on February 14, 2025.