When Matthew Vaughn walked away from X-Men: Days of Future Past, some speculated that it was because the Kick-Ass director was going to try on Star Wars: Episode VII for size. Now we know that property went to J.J. Abrams, but why then did Vaughn depart X-Men? Perhaps it was because of the timing issues of pre-production that bothered him. Or maybe it’s because he was eyeing another superhero family.
Mark Millar, creative consultant at 20th Century Fox, Tweeted confirmation that Vaughn will be coming on board as a producer for Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four reboot. Vaughn has a ton of experience in the realm of superhero groups, having helmed X-Men: First Class and the first Kick-Ass. And while he has handed the reigns of X-Men to Bryan Singer, he’ll retain a producer’s credit on Days of Future Past as he helps shape Trank’s Four reboot.
The Fantastic Four is a valuable Marvel property, but one that has had a difficult time transitioning to the big screen. The Human Torch and The Thing are characters who are tough to sell, visually. At least, they were before Marvel convincingly birthed a miraculous Hulk in Joss Whedon’s The Avengers. Now, a CGI approach to the Fantastic Four heroes appears to be the way to go.
Trank proved he could handle fledgling heroes (and villains) in the creative superhero origin story Chronicle, and feels like the perfect director to try and bring The Fantastic Four back to the big screen. Having Vaughn in his corner can only help. The movie’s shooting for a 2015 release date. Stay tuned for details as they emerge.
