Spider-Man: No Way Home director Jon Watts has decided he won't be working with the MCU in the near future after all. The critically acclaimed director is stepping away from The Fantastic Four reboot after deciding he needed a break.

The MCU has long been working on trying to find a way to bring the Fantastic Four back only as an actual part of the cinematic universe instead of a stand-alone adventure. While rumors of Watts being involved had been floating around for quite a while, they were later confirmed and he was officially attached to the new superhero movie. That is until earlier this week when he decided to depart.

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According to Deadline, the famed director didn't have a difference of opinion with Marvel or any kind of feud with higher-ups. He simply decided that he needed to step away from superhero movies after spending so much of his career making and promoting Spider-Man films. Both Watts and Marvel chief Kevin Feige both confirmed that the split was plenty amicable.

Marvel Studios Fantastic Four

In a recent statement, Feige said that working with Watts over the last few years had been "a true pleasure," and said that while they had been looking forward to the director bringing the Fantastic Four into the MCU, the company is looking forward to working with Watts in the future. In his own announcement, Watts said that he was "forever grateful" for being allowed to spend the last seven years working in the Marvel universe.

There is one big reason why both Watts and Feige were as diplomatic as they were about his exit from The Fantastic Four reboot. Marvel is planning on eventually making a Spider-Man 4 and when it does, the company expects Watts to once again helm the project. As of now, the director has not said that he is ruling out working on the next Spidey flick, though it seems that sort of announcement wouldn't be coming until closer to when that project is due to kick off.

While Marvel will now turn its attention to finding a new director for Fantastic Four, it appears that Jon Watts already knows what he wants to do during his break from the superhero genre. He's set to write and direct an untitled film for Apple that will see George Clooney and Brad Pitt star as rival “fixers” who find themselves simultaneously hired for the same job. The movie is said to be slated for a wide theatrical release before eventually landing on Apple TV.

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Source: Deadline