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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Jon Watts stepped away from directing Marvel’s Fantastic Four because he was exhausted after making Spider-Man: No Way Home during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the safety responsibilities, difficult post-production and disrupted visual-effects workflows left him without the energy he believed the next film required—and that Marvel understood.
Why did Jon Watts leave Fantastic Four?
Watts’s explanation was about personal capacity, not a publicly reported dispute with Marvel. After finishing No Way Home, he tried to return to the story for Fantastic Four and realized he was “out of gas.” He said he needed time to recover and did not think he could make the film great in the state he was in. The Independent reported his remarks in June 2025, attributing them to a panel at the Mediterrane Film Festival.
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps - Blu-ray + Digital | $22.96 | Buy on Amazon |
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The Fantastic Four | $15.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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![Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51MKrB5g--L._SL160_.jpg)
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Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer [Blu-ray] | $28.96 | Buy on Amazon |
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Fantastic Four | $37.47 | Buy on Amazon |
“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.”
What made No Way Home so draining?
Keeping the production safe
Watts described the pandemic protocols as an emotional burden alongside the creative demands of a major film. He felt responsible for protecting the cast and crew while continuing to make the movie, and stressed the seriousness of that responsibility: “literally people could’ve died if you did things wrong,” he said.
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#1 Best Overall
- Set against the backdrop of a ?60s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel?s First Family faces a daunting challenge. Forced to balance being heroes with their family bond, they must defend Earth from a space god and his enigmatic herald.
Post-production and visual-effects disruptions
The strain did not end when filming wrapped. Watts called post-production very difficult and described interruptions to the international visual-effects supply chain. In his account, the combination of COVID precautions, the scale of the production and the difficult work after filming contributed to his exhaustion.
Did Watts leave Marvel on bad terms?
Public statements at the time indicated that Marvel supported his decision. When Watts exited the directing role in April 2022, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and co-president Louis D’Esposito said they understood his reasons and hoped to work with him again. Watts also expressed gratitude for his time making the three Spider-Man films and said he hoped they would collaborate in the future. TheWrap reported the departure and reproduced both statements on April 29, 2022.
Rank #2
- Four individuals gain superpowers after exposure to cosmic rays during a scientific mission to outer space. Based on the comic book 'Fantastic Four' created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and published by Marvel Comics beginning in November 1961. (temp)
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.“We were looking forward to continuing our work with him to bring the Fantastic Four into the MCU but understand and are supportive of his reasons for stepping away.”
What happened after he stepped away?
Watts had been announced as the director of Marvel’s Fantastic Four project in 2020. His departure in 2022 ended his involvement as that film’s director; the available statements framed it as a decision Marvel supported, rather than evidence of a falling-out. In June 2025, Watts publicly explained the exhaustion and production pressures behind his choice.
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Rank #4
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