NEWS: 'Spider-Man' Director Steps Down From Marvel's 'Fantastic Four'

Spider-Man: No Way Home made a whopping $1.89B at the box office with movie-goers flocking to see the most recent adaptation of the friendly neighborhood hero by Tom Holland.

©Marvel/Sony

The film marked the third Spider-Man film from director Jon Watts and, while he was set to direct another upcoming Marvel movie, his plans have recently changed.

According to Deadling, Jon Watts has announced that he is stepping away from directing Marvel’s upcoming Fantastic Four project. While hardly the first Fantastic Four movie adaptation, this production will be the first one since Disney acquired Fox, and will introduce some of Marvel’s most iconic characters to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

©Sony Pictures

Watts was originally picked up by Marvel after his 2015 indie thriller Cop Car, and he’s well known for directing the three successful Spider-Man films. Deadline reports that his choice to split from the Fantastic Four production comes at a time he feels he needs to take a break from superhero movies.

©Marvel

Marvel is optimistic that they will work with Watts again, saying, “Collaborating with Jon on the Spider-Man films has been a true pleasure. We were looking forward to continuing our work with him to bring the Fantastic Four into the MCU but understand and are supportive of his reasons for stepping away. We are optimistic that we will have the opportunity to work together again at some point down the road.”

©Disney/Marvel

And, Watts appears to feel similarly, saying, “Making three Spider-Man films was an incredible and life-changing experience for me. I’m eternally grateful to have been a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for seven years. I’m hopeful we’ll work together again and I can’t wait to see the amazing vision for Fantastic Four brought to life.”

©Disney/Marvel

Marvel hasn’t released many details about the upcoming Fantastic Four movie, but we’ll be keeping an eye out for updates on when it will make its way to the theaters. And, in the meantime, be sure to stay tuned to AllEars for the latest Disney news!