Did Marvel approach Steven Spielberg about directing The Fantastic Four movie?

While the last few months in the MCU have been big ones for reveals, cameos and returns – come on, Spider-man: No Way Home, anyone? – it was a brief appearance in the Doctor Strange sequel that set up a big part of the MCU that, so far, has been untouched.

When we finally met The Fantastic Four’s Reed Richards, played by John Krasinski, in the movie, it was an exciting time for fans – and not just because Krasinski is a fancast favourite. This meant that, along with Kang the Conqueror’s appearance in the Loki series, Kang, played by Jonathan Majors, is a big Marvel villain and a descendant of Richards’ in the comics, meaning that the legacy of the superhero family was already well underway and even though Krasinski isn’t the Richards of the prime 616 universe in the movie and may not be returning to the role in future appearances (here), this was enough to get fans excited.

So, obviously we’re all thinking, what comes next? When will the Fantastic Four arrive proper in the MCU and who will be helming when they do? After all, it’s not that long ago the Spider-man director Jon Watts walked away from the project (here).

Well, it seems that while we don’t have a director yet, we at least might have an idea of the direction Marvel are going in and that they arent’ afraid to aim high… as high as it’s possible to go, in fact.

Montclair Film’s former marketing director Mike Sampson has dropped a massive piece of news and we’re still imaging what could have been.

Taking to social media, below, Sampson wrote: “Ok I’m not in the scoop game anymore, but have heard that Marvel did reach out to Spielberg’s team to gauge interest in directing Fantastic Four,” he wrote. “But that’s as far as the ‘discussions’ went presumably because SS has no interest.

“Also, plenty of rumors out there that The Fabelmans could be Spielberg’s last, so hard to believe he’d want to sneak in a Marvel movie where he can be micromanaged by the house style.”

Fabelmans, by the way, is a semi-autobiographical movie Spielberg is working on at the minute starring Michelle Williams and Seth Rogan.

Anyway… so, Marvel approached arguably the biggest director on the planet, Steven Spielberg, to direct Fantastic Four? Imagine if he had said yes!

Although Spielberg said no, if we look at his body of work – ET, Indiana Jones, Close Encounters – Spielberg is a legend and also does family cinema unlike anyone else and, if we look at these movies (and we have, many, many times) we can perhaps get an idea of the tone Marvel are aiming for here. So, we’ll likely get JJ Abrams instead.

But what of the movie itself? Well, it seems that at D23 later this year Marvel will reveal the cast of Fantastic Four – although they’re going big at Comic-Con this weekend, so don’t rule out something being announced there – and we’re hearing that they’re looking a cast of actors between the ages of 20-30 to play Reed Richards, Sue Storm and Jonny Storm and, while we cannot confirm this, we have heard several times that How I met Your Mother star Jason Segal, left, has already been cast as Ben Grimm AKA The Thing.

And, if that’s not exciting enough, it seems that some very exciting concept art from Black Panther II: Wakanda Forever has leaked online (here) featuring the Fantastic Four’s arch nemesis, Dr Victor Von Doom or, as he’s better known, Dr Doom.

So, with this all out there, it seems safe to say that Marvel’s First Family are coming to the big screen very, very soon and they’ll already be woven throughout the MCU before their first full appearance.

Excited? Let us know…

Ok I’m not in the scoop game anymore, but have heard that Marvel did reach out to Spielberg’s team to gauge interest in directing Fantastic Four, but that’s as far as the “discussions” went presumably because SS has no interest.

— Mike Sampson (@mjsamps) July 14, 2022