EXCLUSIVE: John Watts has retired as the director of Fantastic Four, the rediscovery of the acclaimed Marvel Comics series at Marvel Studios and Disney. Watts has just directed Spider-Man: No Way Home, a film by Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios, which grossed $ 1.89 billion to become the sixth highest-grossing film of all time. There is nothing sinister here; Watts just needs a break from the realm of superheroes after completing the Spidey trilogy with Tom Holland and Zendaya. He was expecting to make Fantastic Four his next film, the third full-length edition of the franchise and the first since Disney acquired Fox, which controlled the franchise. Watts has spent most of the last decade directing and promoting Spider-Man films after being hired by Cop Car, a small budget indie thriller that premiered at Sundance in 2015. It needs a breath of fresh air.
Both Watts and Marvel confirmed his departure and said he was friendly.
Kevin Feigi, President of Marvel Studios, and Luis D’Esposito, Co-Chair of Marvel Studios: “Working with John on Spider-Man movies was a real pleasure. We were looking forward to continuing to work with him to introduce the Fantastic Four to the MCU, but we understand and support his reasons for retiring. We are optimistic that we will have the opportunity to work together again at some point in the future.
Watts said: “Making three Spider-Man films was an amazing and life-changing experience for me. I am eternally grateful to have been part of the Marvel cinematic universe for seven years. I hope that we will work together again and I can’t wait to see the amazing vision of the Fantastic Four, alive. “
Sony and its Spider-Man producers have indicated that they expect to merge Watts with Holland ad Zendaya to continue the series. Watts has not officially left this franchise, but if it does, it sounds like it will be down the road.
Watts has another strong project that could become his next directorial release. Last September, Apple Studios won a lively auction for an untitled film that Watts will write and direct, with George Clooney and Brad Pitt playing rival “fixers” who find themselves hired for the same job at the same time. The deal for this film requires Apple to give the film stable cinemas before it hits Apple TV +. Watts produced this film with Clooney Smokehouse Pictures and Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment.
Watts is represented by CAA and attorney Gregory Suet.
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