Matt Shakman in talks to direct Marvel's Fantastic Four, leaves new Star Trek film

WandaVision helmer Matt Shakman is in negotiations to direct the upcoming Fantastic Four movie for Marvel Studios.

According to Variety, the development comes after Spider-Man: No Way Home filmmaker Jon Watts stepped away from the much-anticipated film in April this year.

As Shakman is looking at a new Marvel project, the director has decided to exit the Star Trek feature at Paramount Pictures.

The studio shared the news of Shakman's departure in a statement.

"Matt Shakman is an incredibly talented filmmaker, and we regret the timing didn’t align for him to direct our upcoming Star Trek film. 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 the world," the statement read.

Fantastic Four will kick off Phase 6 of Marvel’s storytelling. It will be released in theatres on November 8, 2024. Watts was announced as the director of Fantastic Four in December 2020 during the Disney Investor Day presentation.

Marvel Studios acquired the cinematic rights for the superhero team, which previously has been made thrice for the big screen after it took control of 20th Century Fox.

Matt Shakman, in an interview, said, "I love the Marvel universe and I've seen all the movies many many times. But I think what's so great about the MCU is that each movie is different. Stylistically, they can be as different as Guardians of the Galaxy or Thor: Ragnarok, or Iron Man, they are all so very different from each other and yet they're all connected, the characters join up in different films in a wonderful way and they all end in whatever way that particular story required at the end."

On WandaVision, which is packed with comic book references and Easter eggs, Matt added, "I'd say we drew from everything that's ever been written about Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch and Vision and so I couldn't pick anyone in particular."