'Avatar: The Way of Water' Writer Josh Friedman Is Now Writing The MCU 'Fantastic Four'

It's tone-shifting time!

The Marvel Cinematic Universe Fantastic Four movie is getting a rewrite. Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer, who had been doing the writing since before director Matt Shakman boarded in August, were the previous writers on the project, but are now being replaced by Josh Friedman. When Kaplan and Springer were brought on they were described as newcomers, but a hot commodity having sold several spec scripts, mostly in comedies. The films of theirs currently in development are Rebel Wilson comedy K-Pop: Lost in America and Disaster Wedding, with Palm Springs’s Max Barbakow attached to direct.

Friedman meanwhile comes with such credits including creating the television adaptations of Snowpiercer and Foundation, as well as Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. His film credits include the stories of Terminator: Dark Fate, Avatar: The Way of Water and the third film, while attached as the full writer of the fourth and fifth. He also wrote the 2005 version of War of the Worlds. With these credits in mind, this signaled to The Hollywood Reporter a potential change in tone.

Considered the first family of Marvel, the Fantastic Four was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, and introduced in 1961 in their own solo comic series. The team consists of scientist Reed Richards, devoted to his work and willing to push science’s boundaries; Sue Storm, his girlfriend, and eventual wife; Johnny Storm, Sue’s brother; and Ben Grimm, Richards’ beefy best friend. When an unapproved space flight results in them being irradiated with cosmic rays, they become heroes Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, and The Thing, respectively.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe adaptation of the characters is the fourth cinematic attempt, and the film is set to be released on February 14, 2025.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter