Matt Shakman has already helmed one Marvel family story with WandaVision. Now he might take on the First Family of Marvel, the Fantastic Four. Deadline reports that while Shakman’s name has been in the mix for the director of this major installment in the MCU, active discussions have officially begun, although Marvel Studios has not yet made a firm offer.
But it seems that things are headed in the right direction, as Shakman has dropped out of another high-profile project, Paramount’s next Star Trek movie due to scheduling conflicts.
Paramount Pictures issued the following statement:
“Matt Shakman is an incredibly talented filmmaker, and we regret the timing didn’t align for him to direct our upcoming Star Trek film. We are grateful for his many contributions, are excited about the creative vision of this next chapter and look forward to bringing it to audiences all around world.”
This Star Trek film already had a release date of December 22, 2023. It wasn’t revealed whether Paramount plans to stick with that, or if it will be postponed as the studio looks for a new director.
As of the last report, this Star Trek screenplay was written by Lindsey Beer and Geneva Robertson-Dworet, with J.J. Abrams attached to produce. The previous Kelvin timeline cast which included Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Zoe Saldana was expected to return.
As for Fantastic Four, Shakman replaces Jon Watts, the helmer of the three MCU Spider-Man movies. This past May, Watts announced that he was departing Fantastic Four stating that he had already spent seven years working in the MCU and wanted to pursue other options.
Matt Shakman directed all eight episodes of WandaVision, which went on to win several awards, including three Emmys. It was nominated for 20 other Emmys, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series and Outstanding Director for Shakman. This was the first Marvel Disney+ series and set a high bar for those that followed.
Fantastic Four will kick off Marvel’s Phase Six, with a release date of November 8, 2024.
Shakman isn’t confirmed as director yet, but the fact that he dropped out of Star Trek seems to indicate that it’s just a matter of time. Marvel is expected to make a major splash at the D23 Expo which takes place in just weeks, kicking off on September 9. It wouldn’t be a shock if Shakman takes the stage and is officially announced at that time.
What do you think of Matt Shakman taking the reigns of Fantastic Four?
