Russo Brothers Hint They’d Return to Direct MCU Fantastic Four Movie
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Joe and Anthony Russo have revealed that they could potentially be lured back to the Marvel Cinematic Universe if an opportunity arose to do a Fantastic Four movie. The duo has directed four MCU entries, all of which are considered to be high points of their respective franchises. Most recently the Russo Brothers helmed Avengers: Endgame, which not only shook up the MCU as fans had come to know it, but shattered worldwide box office records as well. The film was set to be their last for Marvel Studios, at least for quite a while, although they did express interest in someday returning for a Secret Wars movie. Apparently Marvel’s First Family could potentially bring them back into the fold as well.
Back when the company was in dire straits, Marvel sold the film rights to many of their beloved characters. Over the years, the rights for several of those heroes reverted back to the company, but both the X-Men and the Fantastic Four remained out of reach. Although a deal with Sony allowed Marvel Studios to bring Spider-Man into the MCU, no such arrangement could ever seem to be reached with 20th Century Fox. However, with Disney’s recent acquisition of the company, Marvel now has all of its characters back under one roof.
The Russos hinted to Business Insider that they would be interested in directing a Fantastic Four movie. Although the brothers made it clear that they loved working with Marvel, the directors also explained that they were closing that chapter for the time being. However, they did say that the door was left open for them to return. Joe Russo stated, "It's just about finding the right story that inspires us. That's why we get out of bed every day.” When asked about what characters could potentially bring them back Russo replied, “I mean, I love Ben Grimm from the Fantastic Four. Doctor Doom was always one of my favorite villains.” He also mentioned Wolverine, but admitted that he should be “set aside for a little while.”
Waiting on Wolverine certainly makes sense, considering Hugh Jackman’s iconic portrayal of the hero won’t soon be forgotten. Although Fox made several well-received X-Men films, as well as some that were less successful, Marvel’s First Family never quite got off the ground. Not including the unreleased 1994 movie, there have been three films centering on the family of heroes. In 2005, Fantastic Four released, which included a pre-MCU Chris Evans as Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch. Although derided by most critics, the film was successful enough to warrant a sequel, which hit theaters two years later. In 2015, Josh Trank attempted a gritty reboot, but the final result is something that he wishes could be erased from his filmography. This is not the first time that Russo has mentioned bringing Victor von Doom into the MCU. He's also not the only one intrigued by the villain. Noah Hawley recently met with Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige about his interest in a Doctor Doom movie.
Marvel Studios has made household names out of many of their characters and have found so much success in doing so, largely because of their love of the source material. They know these heroes and villains better than anyone. The X-Men have had several excellent big screen adventures, but there is still reason to be excited that they will eventually join the MCU - despite the fact that their introduction will prove to be a daunting task. The Fantastic Four, on the other hand, won’t be nearly as difficult to include. While it will likely take quite a while before Marvel tries to integrate them, most fans would love to see what the Russos would make of Marvel’s First Family.
Source: Business Insider