Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has downplayed rumors of impending casting announcements for the slated Fantastic Four reboot. First announced at the end of Disney’s Investor Day presentation back in December 2020, it was revealed at that time that Spider-Man: Homecoming and Far From Home director Jon Watts was on board to direct the project. Audiences are obviously excited about the prospect of Marvel’s First Family joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe and have been clamoring for any information regarding the project. Speculation has been rife since then, with A Quiet Place’s Emily Blunt and John Krasinski, as well as The Haunting of Bly Manor’s Rahul Kohli some of the most notable contenders within Fantastic Four fan-castings.

Comprising the husband and wife duo of Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic and Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, as well as Sue’s younger brother Johnny Storm/The Human Torch and family friend Ben Grimm/The Thing, the group has been a mainstay in Marvel comics since their first appearance in 1961. The team has also been instrumental in introducing a number of other characters to the Marvel comics, most notably Black Panther in 1966. The first big-screen adaptation of Fantastic Four was in 2005 and starred Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis, and eventual Captain America Chris Evans in the lead roles.

Related: Spider-Man: No Way Home Is Perfect To Introduce Fantastic Four Into MCU

When asked by ET Online at the recent Black Widow fan premiere whether fans could expect an announcement regarding casting for Fantastic Four anytime soon, Feige skirted around the question and remained tight-lipped by saying:

I don’t think it’s soon, and you know this is our first red carpet event in two years, we’ll see what happens with upcoming gatherings and fan events where we can release more news. I hope some time in the near future.

Fantastic Four Alex Ross

Marvel Studios has a tendency towards making its biggest announcements at fan and press events. Having a large gathering of people in attendance to gauge audience reaction is often integral to Marvel’s marketing strategies—both the announcement of Brie Larson as Captain Marvel in 2016 and last year's reveal of Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel occurred at similar events. While Feige's statement doesn’t provide any solid information on when audiences might expect any Fantastic Four announcements, it would make sense for the studio to wait until current pandemic restrictions ease to do so. 

The constant circling of rumors does make sense, however. People are eager to see a movie featuring the Fantastic Four done right, as the group haven’t had the best track record when it comes to film. The first attempt and its 2007 sequel were not particularly well received by audiences and critics. Likewise, Josh Trank’s attempted 2015 reboot was mired with a litany of production problems and presently sits at a paltry 9% on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s unsurprising then, that there has been so much hype around the group returning to Marvel Studios, especially with Fantastic Four in Watts' capable hands. It just seems as though audiences will have to wait a bit longer before Marvel reveals any new information regarding Fantastic Four.

More: Why Movies Keep Getting Fantastic Four Wrong (& How Marvel Can Fix It)

Source: ET Online

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