The Hollywood Reporter states that director Matt Shakman has backed out of directing a new Star Trek picture for Paramount. After the introduction of Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk in Star Trek (2009), this film would have been the fourth in the series. Marvel recently revealed that they were in negotiations with Shakman to helm their upcoming Fantastic Four film. Originally, Shakman was going to helm an unnamed Star Trek film for Paramount, but he had to step out to focus on the Fantastic Four reboot.
Earlier this year, Deadline claimed that Shakman was in discussions to direct the next Fantastic Four film. Although it has not been officially confirmed that Shakman has signed on, the fact that he has abandoned Star Trek is a good hint that a contract will soon be finalised. Paramount said in a statement, “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 over the world. Matt Shakman is an incredibly talented filmmaker, & we regret the timing didn’t align for him to direct our upcoming Star Trek film.” Time will tell if this revelation affects the December 23, 2023 release date for the Shakman-directed Star Trek picture, which had other directors, including Quentin Tarantino and Noah Hawley, in contention to direct the film before Paramount settled on Shakman.
In early 2021, Shakman directed the first Disney+ series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, titled WandaVision. His take on the Fantastic Four isn’t the first to try adapting the squad for the big screen. Tim Story helmed a Fantastic Four picture in 2005, with Ioan Gruffudd, Michael Chiklis, Chris Evans, and Jessica Alba in the lead roles. This film’s sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, was released in 2007.
A new cast including Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, and Jamie Bell took over the series in 2015 after 20th Century Fox decided to restart the series. Shakman is well-known in the television industry outside of the MCU, having directed episodes of shows like Game of Thrones, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Fargo. In directing the Fantastic Four picture, Shakman will be working on his second full-length feature. Kevin Fiege confirmed the debut date of the Fantastic Four film as November 8, 2024, during this summer’s San Diego Comic-Con. A director has been hired, and though the cast has not been revealed just yet, that’s a step in the right direction.