Chris Columbus, famously known for directing the initial Home Alone films, has also made a name for himself in the realm of fantastical storytelling. His work on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Percy Jackson, and Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief showcase this. Yet, he has not yet ventured into the superhero genre, despite showing interest. Interestingly, a potential Fantastic Four project never materialized for him due to an unexpected reason.
During an interview on the Fade to Black Podcast promoting his latest film The Thursday Murder Club (available on Netflix), Columbus reminisced about his connection with Marvel’s First Family – a memory from over a decade before the Fantastic Four movie featuring Ioan Gruffud, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis, and Chris Evans hit the screens. At that time, it seemed that the director’s commitment to staying true to the original comic book source material was not favored by executives at 20th Century Fox. He shared:
In a rather unusual scenario, I found myself contributing to the script for the initial Fantastic Four film. Many writers were part of this project. With a movie adaptation on the horizon, we were in charge of production. During my time, I sat down with the director and producer, offering suggestions. Primarily, I advocated that certain conceptual art should emulate Jack Kirby, who was known for his work on Fantastic Four during the Silver Age of Marvel Comics. After leaving this meeting, I received a phone call from the head of 20th Century Fox, informing me I had been let go due to expressing too much personal opinion.
The director of Harry Potter expressed some constructive criticism upon first seeing Nick Frost as Hagrid, and I believe his observation holds merit.
‘Critics severely criticized our movies, but one star believes they were misunderstood.’
In 1995, a year after the initial live-action “Fantastic Four” movie remained unreleased, and with “Batman Forever” being the only superhero film in cinemas at the time, the genre was yet to achieve widespread popularity, as it wouldn’t be until the release of films like “Blade,” “X-Men,” and “Spider-Man.”
During this period, Chris Columbus suggested adapting the first “Fantastic Four” comics that Jack Kirby illustrated and Stan Lee wrote. However, at that time, simply discussing the idea in relation to concept art was reportedly enough for him to be fired from the project.
It’s hard not to question if there was more behind the sudden departure from the project than what Chris Columbus shared in this interview. Despite receiving an executive producer credit for 2005’s Fantastic Four and 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, he didn’t take part in their production. After that, Columbus worked on scripts for Daredevil and Spider-Man, but his interest in making a superhero movie faded over time. The director added:
Over time, the exceptional quality of superhero films has left me less inclined towards creating one myself. It began subtly with Spider-Man 2 for me. When Sam Raimi crafted Spider-Man 2, it felt like a flawless representation of a superhero movie at that moment in time. Since then, little by little, films like the initial Batman series and Matt Reeves’ The Batman featuring Robert Pattinson have left an indelible impression. I found this film to be exceptional, leading me to acknowledge that I no longer feel compelled to make those types of movies. Given the current level of expertise in creating such films, I believe others are doing it far better than I could at this stage in my career.
If you’ve been hoping that Chris Columbus would one day take the helm for a Marvel or DC film, it’s likely time to let go of that expectation. Instead, he seems content to observe other directors delve into the superhero genre, as he focuses his attention on different cinematic projects. One such director is Matt Shakman, who will direct the 2025 release The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which has become the most acclaimed and financially successful of all Fantastic Four films to date.
Alongside the anticipated sequel to “Fantastic Four: First Steps” in production, fans can eagerly look forward to the return of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Fantastic Four, slated for action in “Avengers: Doomsday,” set to premiere on December 18, 2026. I also share your excitement in learning if Chris Columbus’ ideas for First Steps, as conceived back in 1995, might have influenced the upcoming film’s visual style.
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2025-08-28 04:39