This week Variety announced that writer Lee Sung Jin has been hired to help rewrite the Thunderbolts script for Marvel Studios. Director Jake Schreier had brought on Jin after they both worked on Netflix’s Beef together. The original draft was written by Eric Pearson but focused too much on a Black Widow sequel and not a team-up film. Production begins this June in Atlanta. Jin added
“It’s truly an honor to be part of a Marvel thing, but it is very different. One, it’s not my project, it’s Jake’s. It’s such a large scope and scale that the type of writing is very different. At the same time, the process feels the same, I’m still talking to Jake every day. … I think once you find the squad of people you love and trust and are so talented, you do everything you can to keep working with them.”
Marvel Studios also revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that screenwriter Josh Friedman has been tapped to rewrite the script for the Fantastic Four. He is best known for helping on Avatar: The Way of Water and fully penning Avatar 4. He takes over from screenwriting duo Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer. Friedman also worked with director Matt Shakman after they helped pitch a Star Trek film to Paramount. Production begins in early 2024 in Atlanta.
Thunderbolts hits theaters July 26th, 2024; Fantastic Four hits theaters February 14th, 2025