Ever since Disney purchased 20th Century Fox in 2019, fans have been waiting for the Fantastic Four to be introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.WandaVisiondirectorMatt Shakmanwill be the filmmaker to bring Marvel’s first family into the MCU. In an interview withScreen Rantfor the upcoming seriesMonarch: Legacy of Monsters, Shakman talked about what makes him excited to direct Marvel’sFantastic Fourreboot. He also talked aboutwhat makes the Fantastic Four different from other teamsin Marvel Comics.
In the interview, Shakman talked about what makes him a fan of the Fantastic Four. “I think I love the space race, Kennedy-era optimism of that world,” said Shakman. “The idea that we can solve all of our problems, thatwe can, through the right heart, the right mind, and the right technology, conquer any problem.” The Fantastic Four were introducedin the comic booksbyStan LeeandJack Kirbyin the 1961, and the early stories were firmly set in that time period. In the first issue, the team quickly rushed to go into space to study the effects of cosmic rays before the Soviet Union could, which led to them getting their powers. The Fantastic Four’s leader Reed Richards is also a scientist, and usually tries to use science to solve whatever problem the team faces. Earlier this year,Shakman talked with Colliderabout his excitement of bringing the Fantastic Four to the MCU. “I have loved these characters since I was a kid so it is a huge joy to be able to work with them, spend time with them every day,” Shakman told Collider. “To bring them into the MCU is also a huge joy. So it’s that. It’s just the excitement of being the kid who found them when was I was six, seven, eight, and now being able to work with them on the big screen. It’s amazing.”
In the Screen Rant interview, Shakman also talked about one aspect of the Fantastic Four that makes them different from other groups in Marvel, the fact that they’re a family. Susan Storm/the Invisible Woman and the Human Torch//Johnny Storm are siblings. In the comic books, Reed and Sue eventually get married. “It’s different in so many ways because they are a true family,” said Shaman. “Not a family you find along the way like theX-Menor theAvengers, but true family with all the messinessof a family like onMonarch. With all the love, the hurt, and the complexity of that.” The family aspect was previously explored inTim Story’sFantastic Fourmovies. The films showed Reed and Sue getting together, and eventually getting married. Although they’re not related, the films showed a sibling-type relationship between Johnny and Ben Grimm, where Johnny would often pulls pranks on or make fun of Ben.
Matt Shakman Shared That He Is Excited About the ‘Fantastic Four’ Cast
Marvel fans have been excited to learn about who will be the next actors to bring the Fantastic Four to life. In October,Shakman talked with Colliderabout how excited he was about the cast. At the time of the interview, theSAG strikewas going on, and casting could not be announced. “There will be an announcement at some point! I know the internet is very excited to find out, andI’m excited to share it. I just can’t do it yet,” Shakman told Collider. However, he did tease that the film would be different fromother MCU projects. “We are doing things very differently from a story standpoint, from an approach to the filmmaking standpoint, that really fits the material,” said Shakman. “I wish I could say more. I would love to, but I can’t. But I think it’s going to be unlike anything you’ve ever seen before, and certainly unlike anything at Marvel that you’ve seen before.”
Fantastic Fouris scheduled to be released on June 28, 2025. In the meantime, check out this Collider interview with Shakman about the film below:
