Earlier today, word got out that Matt Shakman is in talks to replace Jon Watts as the director of Marvel’s Fantastic Four reboot. But it’s going to cost him another high-profile directing gig. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Shakman is departing Paramount’s Star Trek 4, which clears enough room in his schedule for him to concentrate on Marvel’s First Family.
Shakman previously signed on to direct Star Trek 4 last summer. Unfortunately, the sequel’s development has been fraught with complications. During February’s ViacomCBS Investor Day presentation, Paramount announced that the film would start shooting in late 2022 with the Kelvin timeline cast back in play. But this reportedly came as a surprise to the actors themselves, who (as far as we know) still haven’t officially signed on to return. And the last we heard, none of them had even seen a completed script.
In any case, Star Trek 4 would have to start production by the end of this year in order to hit theaters on December 22, 2023 as planned. But with Shakman vacating the director’s chair, this seems highly unlikely. It also would have been extremely difficult for Shakman to jump from the Star Trek sequel to Fantastic Four without enough time to handle post-production from the former and pre-production for the latter. Presumably, Shakman needs to start filming Fantastic Four by early next year if it’s going to be ready by November 2024. Shakman is also directing the first two episodes of Legendary’s MonsterVerse series for Apple TV+, which began shooting in June.
RELATED: Matt Shakman In Negotiations To Direct Marvel’s Fantastic Four Reboot
“Matt Shakman is an incredibly talented filmmaker, and we regret the timing didn’t align for him to direct our upcoming Star Trek film,” said Paramount in a new 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 around world.”
THR’s earlier story confirming Shakman’s Fantastic Four involvement revealed that Marvel was also considering Reid Carolin (Dog) and Michael Matthews (Love and Monsters) to direct the reboot. Apparently, Matthews and Shakman were the two finalists. But given Marvel’s prior relationship with Shakman for directing the WandaVision series, the studio picked him.
How do you feel about Shakman leaving Star Trek 4? Who should Paramount hire to replace him? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: The Star Trek Book: Strange New Worlds Boldly Explained (Big Ideas Simply Explained)
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