Fantastic Four Update Hints That MCU Reboot Is Coming Sooner Than Later

Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four reboot could be coming sooner than later. Disney's purchase of Fox's TV and movie assets in late 2017 was industry shaking, but Marvel fans were mainly excited about the long-separated mutants and their tie-in characters potentially finally joining the Avengers in the MCU. Aside from the X-Men, there's also the long-anticipated arrival of the Fantastic Four, with Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm now all set up to make their big-screen return.

Fox's Fantastic Four movie projects struggled despite two attempts (the first one in 2005 and the next a decade later in 2015) to be successful. Both cinematic versions were critically panned and didn't resonate much with fans. So, unlike the X-Men continuity, rebooting Marvel's first family to exist within the MCU is a much easier decision to make for Kevin Feige and his team. The new Fantastic Four movie has already been confirmed, but very little is currently known about it, including the fact that director Jon Watts has been hired to helm it.

But, while Marvel Studios has announced the release date for its Fantastic Four reboot, a new report from Variety hints that it could be coming in the foreseeable future. Apparently, despite Watts' booking projects outside of the MCU, including executive producing Final Destination 6, his next project is still scheduled to be the Fantastic Four reboot. However, the comments confirm that a release date has still yet to be decided. Read the related quote below:

"Watts is only set to produce “Final Destination 6.” His next directing gig will still likely be Marvel Studios’ reboot of the “Fantastic Four” superhero franchise, which remains undated."

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Watts is currently fresh off the success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, the final chapter of the "Homecoming" trilogy starring Tom Holland as the MCU's Spider-Man. The young hero's journey will continue in the franchise, with a Spider-Man 4 already in the works, but it's uncertain if Watts will be involved. Instead, the filmmaker has recently locked his first directorial job outside of the superhero sandbox, with a currently untitled George Clooney and Brad Pitt project. At one point, many presumed that this would've preceded the Fantastic Four reboot, but based on this new report, that isn't the case.

This also increases the chances that Marvel Studios may be planning on wrapping up Phase 4 with the Fantastic Four reboot. After all, since the movie was already announced, master strategist Feige and his team more likely know when the studio wants to release it. If this is true, then casting for the new Fantastic Four could be underway, with an announcement potentially coming in the next few months. In any case, while fans would be thrilled to know that it could come out sooner than expected, it will be interesting to see if Watts' version can finally nail a big-screen adaptation of the foursome, and from there, set the Fantastic Four up as main players in the MCU moving forward.

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Source: Variety