Insiders say that Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer have been hired to pen the script for the MCU’s adaptation of Marvel’s first superfamily, Fantastic Four. According to Deadline, the writing team will work with filmmaker Matt Shakman to adapt the Marvel Comics characters Mr Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, and the Thing into a feature film. The film will be produced by Kevin Feige, the supervisor of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Despite their lack of Hollywood experience, Warner Bros. has signed Kaplan & Springer to star in their upcoming high-profile production, Disaster Wedding. Although it may seem strange that Marvel Studios would entrust one of its flagship franchises to newbies, Kaplan & Springer may inject fresh ideas into the series while yet being amenable to being moulded into the MCU’s established aesthetic. Though it’s too soon to tell how Kaplan & Springer’s Fantastic Four will turn out, fans may at least hold out hope that it would do better in the movies than its predecessors.
Ioan Gruffudd played Mr Fantastic in the first theatrical live-action production of the Fantastic Four, which also starred Jessica Alba as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm/Thing, and Chris Evans as Johnny Storm/Human Torch. While the first two films starring this iteration of the superfamily are fondly recalled by fans, they failed to capture the excitement of the comic book reading public. Even while reviewers and viewers alike panned 2015’s attempt at a reboot of the Fantastic Four franchise, which included a young cast and an interdimensional narrative, the film ultimately failed to find its footing.
When you factor in the live-action Fantastic Four movie from the 1990s that never made it to theatres, you can see why this franchise hasn’t had much success on the silver screen.
Kaplan and Springer will have to cope with the MCU strain in addition to the great expectations for any Fantastic Four live-action adaptation. Phase 6 of the MCU, the conclusion to “The Multiverse Saga,” will kick off with Fantastic Four. Kaplan and Springer will have to deal with the cross-franchise ramifications of any conflict that occurs in the superfamily’s solo journey, in addition to introducing a fresh version of cherished characters to the audience.
So many people have high expectations for Kaplan & Springer, and we can’t wait to see how they are up to the challenge. The Fantastic Four is not the first Marvel Cinematic Universe instalment to include a member of a superhero family. For the film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, released earlier this year, John Krasinski portrayed the Fantastic Four member known as Mr Fantastic. However, the hero was from another universe, and it is unknown if Marvel Studios would recast Krasinski as the Fantastic Four’s elastic leader in Earth-616, the MCU’s primary timeline.
On November 8 of 2024, the release of Fantastic Four is scheduled.