Spider-Man director opens up about exit from ‘The Fantastic Four’ franchise

Spider Man trilogy director Jon Watts recently broke his silence amid ongoing speculation about his withdrawal from the upcoming film The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

The American filmmaker, known for directing Homecoming, Far From Home, and No Way Home, has finally revealed the reason behind his decision to step away from the project.

In an exclusive conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, he explained, “The COVID layer on top of making a giant movie layer, I knew I didn't have what it would've taken to make that movie great. I was just out of steam, so I just needed to take some time to recover.”

Watts, 44, also reflected on the intense challenges of making 2021’s No Way Home.

He continued, “The emotional strain of having to go through all of those COVID protocols while also trying to make something creative while also trying to make sure that your cast and crew were all safe – literally, people could’ve died if you did things wrong – that and the postproduction process as very difficult.

“When you're doing [visual effects work], there's a whole international component to it where you're using vendors from all over the world, and the supply chain had been interrupted because of COVID. It was really hard to get effects done in a traditional way.”

Despite his withdrawal from the upcoming project, Watts expressed excitement to see how it will turn out.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps, now directed by Matt Shakman, is slated for release on Friday, July 25.