‘Fantastic Four’ director feels like a kid getting to play with his favorite characters

Matt Shakman‘s latest Fantastic Four project with Marvel Cinematic Universe has the director bringing out his inner child. 

The Fantastic Four franchise originated from the 1961 comic book by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. It follows a group of astronauts Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Susan Storm, and Human Torch, who obtain superpowers after being exposed to cosmic rays and use their gift to save the world.

The comic’s success would lead to an animated series, hit films which were respectively released in 2005 and 2007, and a lackluster reboot years later. In 2019, Marvel acquired the rights to Fantastic Four after purchasing 20th Century Fox. Talks about a new Fantastic Four movie shortly began after actor John Krasinski starred as the character Richards in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. 

With the anticipation of the new film, Shakman opened up during an interview with Collider about why this franchise was significant to him. The 47-year-old told the publication on February 8 that aside from being a Fantastic Four fan, he is honored to work with the actors and actresses that will portray the roles of the beloved characters. Shakman said,  

“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. 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 I was six, seven, eight, and now being able to work with them on the big screen. It’s amazing.”

Shakman’s admission comes a day after the filmmaker shared details regarding Fantastic Four’s new cast. While talking to ComicBook, Shakman revealed that although there won’t be any announcement of who will be a part of the franchise for the time being, he is “excited” that news surrounding the project has caused fans to be heavily engaged on the topic on social media.

Even though limited information about the cast has been released to the general public, Fantastic Four is scheduled to debut in theaters in 2025.