Director Matt Shakman Leaves Star Trek 4 For Fantastic Four

According to The Hollywood Reporter, director Matt Shakman has stepped down from Paramount’s Star Trek 4 in order to helm Marvel’s Fantastic Four.

The Star Trek is considered a top priority for the studio and is currently scheduled to arrive on December 22, 2023. A search for a new director is expected to begin immediately, although it’s unknown if the release date will change.

In a statement, Paramount Pictures said: “Matt Shakman is an incredibly talented filmmaker, and we regret the timing didn’t align for him to direct our upcoming Star Trek film,” Paramount Pictures said in a statement. “We are grateful for his many contributions, are excited about the creative vision of this next chapter and look forward to bringing it to audiences all around world.”

The fourth film in the rebooted time line has a script from Josh Friedman and Cameron Squires, based on a draft by Lindsey Beer and Geneva Robertson-Dworet. Paramount is hoping to get the entire cast back, including Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldaña and John Cho.