Jon Watts Leaves Fantastic Four, Moves to New Project

Jon Watts, who directed the Spider-Man trilogy for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, stepped down from directing The Fantastic Four: First Steps due to exhaustion brought on by the challenges of pandemic-era filmmaking. After completing Spider-Man: No Way Home under strict COVID-19 protocols and facing supply chain and visual effects disruptions, Watts felt unable to take on another large-scale project and chose to prioritize his recovery. Marvel Studios fully supported his decision to leave the project. Matt Shakman was subsequently named as the new director for the upcoming Fantastic Four film. Watts has since moved on to direct other projects, such as 'Wolfs' for Apple. His experience highlights the toll that pandemic filmmaking has had on industry professionals.