Full spoilers follow for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four movie has secured the services of two producers who worked on the MCU's best TV series.
Speaking to Comicbook.com, Moon Knight head writer Jeremy Slater revealed that Grant Curtis and Nick Pepin – who co-executively producer the Oscar Isaac-starring Disney Plus show – had boarded the upcoming Marvel movie.
Marvel's Fantastic Four flick is still in the early stages of development, so it may be a while before we receive official word on Curtis and Pepin's involvement. Slater's comments, though, all but confirm that they'll be part of the Marvel Phase 4 project's chief creative team.
"My execs on Moon Knight are the same guys who are running Fantastic Four, so we had a lot of talks about it," Slater explained. "I was like, 'I'm not going to pitch you for anything, because honestly you don't need my stink on it.'"
Curtis and Pepin are the first individuals – Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige aside – to board the Disney subsidiary's Fantastic Four reboot. Spider-Man: No Way Home director Jon Watts had been attached to helm the superhero flick, but Watts departed in early May, citing the need for a break from the superhero genre.
On May 10, we reported on rumors linking The Mandalorian director Bryce Dallas Howard with taking over from Watts on directing duties. Unsurprisingly, Marvel is yet to comment on the speculation and, given the original source for the rumor, we suggest that you take it with a big pinch of salt for the time being.
It's also unclear if John Krasinski (The Office US, A Quiet Place) will reprise his role as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic for the Fantastic Four's MCU movie.
Marvel fans had long called for Krasinski to portray the Fantastic Four's leader in the MCU, and those specific viewers got their wish in the recently released Doctor Strange 2. Krasinski appeared as Reed Richards as part of Earth-838's Illuminati line-up – one of a number of cameos in the multiverse-centric film. However, there's no word on whether he'll return as Reed Richards for the group's MCU flick, even though Marvel is believed to have begun casting for its Fantastic Four feature.
For more MCU-based content, find out why we think Doctor Strange 2 should have used a specific Marvel movie criticism to its advantage.
Analysis: trading the supernatural for the scientific
If Curtis and Pepin have been installed as executive producers on Marvel's Fantastic Four movie, the duo will trade the supernatural side of the MCU for a more science-based approach.
Moon Knight was very much centered on the mystical and paranormal facets of the MCU; its exploration of gods, monsters, and the other-worldly positioning it as a metaphysical project – much like Doctor Strange and, to some extent, Black Panther – compared to the far more realistic and grounded films and shows like Iron Man and Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Fantastic Four is likely to fall into the latter category. Sure, the group acquire their powers and abilities after they're exposed to cosmic rays – in the comics, at least – but their origins and large parts of their comic series runs are rooted in science. In that sense, Reed Richards and company don't deal with the afterlife or mythical beings. Instead, they deal with space, the concept of time, and alternate dimensions (and the villains that inhabit them).
For Curtis and Pepin, working on a Fantastic Four film will be a far cry from producing Moon Knight. Given the critical acclaim and positive fan reception that the most recent Marvel TV show has received, though – it currently holds a 7.5/10 rating on IMDb.com, plus 87% and 92% critical and audiences receptions on Rotten Tomatoes – the pair's influence on Moon Knight's development can't be understated.
Add in the fact that Curtis worked on Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, plus Pepin's involvement in other MCU projects such as Shang-Chi, Loki, and WandaVision, the pair are clearly well versed in producing various comic book live-action projects across numerous genres. As long as Slater hasn't got the wrong end of the stick, Marvel Studio's Fantastic Four movie is in very safe and capable hands with Curtis and Pepin, as well as Feige and fellow Marvel producers Brad Winderbaum, Victoria Alonso, and Louis D'Esposito.
