'Spider-Man' director Jon Watts quits Marvel's 'Fantastic Four'

American filmmaker Jon Watts, who was set to direct the rebooted version of the 'Fantastic Four' film, has opted out of the Marvel Cinematic Project.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, in a statement after leaving the directorship of the series Watts said, "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."

Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios president and co-president Louis D'Esposito said that collaborating with Jon on the Spider-Man films has been a true pleasure for him as they were looking forward to continuing their work with him to bring the Fantastic Four into the MCU but also understands and supports his reasons for stepping away.

Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios movies earned $ 1.89 billion, making them the sixth-highest-paying movie in history. It was Feige, who announced in December 2020 at Disney's Investors Day presentation that Watt would lead the 'Fantastic Four'. Watts oversaw Spider-Man: 'Noway Home'.

Created by Stanley and Jack Kirby, 'Fantastic Four' launched Marvel Comics in 1961. The comic book that reinvented the periodical publisher, known as 'Timely' made comic book superheroes more realistic and relatable to audiences, as per The Hollywood Reporter.

The comic may have succeeded quickly, but adaptation to the big screen didn't really work. In the mid-1990s, Roger Corman made a cheap Hackney feature film that didn't reach the theater but can be found on YouTube. In the 2000s, when intellectual property rights existed in the 20th century, Tim Story directed two films starring Chris Evans and Jessica Alba.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Watts has another powerful project that could be the next step for the director. Last September, Apple Studios won a lively auction of untitled films written and directed by Watts, and George Clooney and Brad Pitt played rival "fixers" who were hired at the same time for the same thing.

( With inputs from ANI )