“Avatar: The Way of Water” Writer Josh Friedman Takes Over Writing Duties for Marvel’s “Fantastic Four”

Avatar: The Way of Water writer Josh Friedman has been tapped to write the script for Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

What’s Happening:

  • Friedman, who is known for his work on the Avatar sequels, as well as Terminator: Dark Fate and War of the Worlds, will be writing the script for the new Fantastic Four movie.
  • He was also the co-creator of Foundation, the ambitious Apple series that adapted the Isaac Asimov stories; the second season is due to debut later this year.
  • It was previously reported that Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer were the writers on the project, and Friedman’s hire signals a potential change in tone, as the previous duo are known for their comedic scripts.
  • WandaVision director Matt Shakman is on board to direct Fantastic Four.
  • Marvel’s Fantastic Four is slated to hit theaters on February 14th, 2025, which will kick off Phase 6 of the MCU.
  • Fantastic Four was originally announced during a Disney Investor Day presentation in December 2020.
  • Since then, a multiversal variant of Reed Richards has appeared and was almost immediately killed in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
  • While the character was played by John Krasinski in that film, it is unclear who will be cast to play the iconic characters in the new film.
  • Marvel’s first family has been the subject of two different film franchises in the past, but fans have very high hopes that this will far exceed the previous two iterations.