Marvel’s Most Troubled Project Undergoes Another Overhaul
For a long period, there was no doubt that between Marvel and DC, the former was the bigger winner when it came to on-screen productions. But now, the MCU’s foundation has been crumbling with its upcoming projects caught in the crosshairs of scheduling conflicts and the guilty verdict against its leading villain, Jonathan Majors. In the newest batch of “uh oh” news for the MCU, it’s been revealed that the script for Marvel’s Fantastic Four is undergoing yet another set of rewrites.
Third Time’s A Charm?
This marks what we know to be the third rewrite for Fantastic Four if those at the top have been honest about how often they’ve sent new scribes back to the drawing board. The first pair hired to pick up the film’s script and story were Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer, who were attached to the project in 2022. A year later, in early spring 2023, it was announced that Josh Friedman would be stepping in to take over. Now, another year later, a new set of unnamed writers are taking a stab at the job.
Will Fantastic Four Film This Year?
Obviously, with so many changes being made to the script, we can expect filming to be impacted. As of right now, cameras are set to pick up and begin rolling later this year in August, but at the rate things are going, there’s no telling if Fantastic Four’s start date will be pushed back even further. Not only has the writing team undergone major changes but the directors also seem to be caught in a revolving door with Jon Watts first attached to the feature and Matt Shakman picking up the torch after Watts departed two years following the initial announcement.
Rats Leaving A Sinking Ship?
When one looks at other MCU productions and how the writers’ and actors’ strikes affected them, one need only look at the call sheet to better understand what kind of a mess the studio is in. While a cast for Fantastic Four has yet to be announced, the lineup is largely rumored to include the likes of Ebon Moss-Bacharach, Joseph Quinn, Vanessa Kirby, and Anya Taylor-Joy. But, as we’re seeing with Thunderbolts, which has lost Steven Yeun and Ayo Edebiri in recent days, the more time a project is halted, the more it blends into other commitments.
Marvel Is On The Ropes
Aside from Fantastic Four, Marvel has been struggling to get audiences back to cinemas over the last year with lackluster turnouts for 2023’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels. The only movie that was a sure-fire hit was James Gunn’s final dance with the studio, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, before the filmmaker and writer took his talents to DC full-time. Now that a fresh year has started, Marvel is looking to other hopeful sellers like Deadpool 3 to put them back on track.
Crippled By Kang
And then, of course, there’s the trouble with Jonathan Majors who played the ever-growing big bad, Kang the Conqueror, with Majors being dropped from his position with the studio after he was found guilty of assault allegations. Instead of completely cutting out Kang and going in a different direction, John David Washington was recently reported as being the actor being eyed for the role. While Kang’s involvement may not affect Fantastic Four, as the film could easily pivot itself away from using the villain – especially with yet another team of writers – the fallout affects how future Avengers movies will move forward.
