Whereas Chris Columbus is arguably greatest identified for steering the primary two House Alone motion pictures, he’s additionally somebody who is aware of his manner round fantastical materials, as evidenced by his work on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and techniques and Percy Jackson and Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, amongst different initiatives. Nevertheless, he has but to delve into the superhero style, although it’s not for lack of attempting. There was a time when Columbus was going to direct a Unbelievable 4 film, and I’m frankly shocked by the rationale it didn’t pan out for him.
Columbus recalled his time with Marvel’s First Household whereas showing on the Fade to Black Podcast to speak about his new film The Thursday Homicide Membership, which is streamable with a Netflix subscription. This was a decade earlier than the Unbelievable 4 film starred Ioan Gruffud, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis and Chris Evans got here out, and apparently the director’s curiosity in adhering to the crew’s early supply materials turned off executives at twentieth Century Fox. He recalled:
We had been in a bizarre scenario. On the primary Unbelievable 4, I had labored on a script. There have been numerous writers concerned. After which they had been about to make a film and we had been producing it. I got here in and met with the director and the producer, and had some concepts. I principally stated, ‘A few of this conceptual artwork ought to really feel extra like Jack Kirby, who was the artist on the Unbelievable 4, and may really feel extra just like the Silver Age of Marvel.’ I left that assembly, and on the best way again to my home, I bought a name from the top of twentieth Century Fox saying, ‘You’re fired. You had an excessive amount of of an opinion.’
This occurred in 1995, a yr after the very first live-action Unbelievable 4 film went unreleased, and the identical yr when Batman Eternally was the one superhero film to hit theaters. The style was nonetheless a greater than half a decade away from blowing up in recognition with the likes of Blade, X-Males and Spider-Man. So whereas these days Chris Columbus’ thought to drag extra these first Unbelievable 4 comics that Jack Kirby illustrated and Stan Lee wrote them would certainly be welcomed, 30 years in the past, apparently simply point out that in a dialogue about idea artwork was sufficient for him to get canned.
I can’t assist however surprise if there was extra to this unceremonious exit than the Mrs. Doubtfire director divulged on this interview, however regardless, the injury was performed. Although Chris Columbus nonetheless obtained an government producer credit score on 2005’s Unbelievable 4 and 2007’s Unbelievable 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, he had he had nothing to do with making them. Columbus would go on to jot down scripts for Daredevil and Spider-Man, however finally his want to make a superhero film dissipated. The filmmaker continued:
Over time, individuals have performed it so nicely that I’ve personally misplaced curiosity in making a superhero film. It began a little bit bit with Spider-Man 2. Once I noticed what Sam Raimi did with Spider-Man 2, on the time, I believed it was an ideal superhero film. After which bits and items alongside the best way. The primary Batman movies that had been performed, and positively Matt Reeves’ The Batman with [Robert] Pattinson. I believed it was an excellent movie. And I noticed I don’t have a want to make these motion pictures anymore. Persons are doing them higher than I may ever think about doing at this level in my profession.
So in case you’ve been ready for the day when it’s introduced that Chris Columbus will direct a Marvel or DC film, it’s time to place that dream to relaxation. He’s snug watching different administrators mess around within the superhero style whereas he pursues different cinematic endeavors. That features Matt Shakman, the director behind the 2025 film launch The Unbelievable 4: First Steps, which is now probably the most critically-praised and commercially profitable of the Unbelievable 4 motion pictures.
Along with a Unbelievable 4: First Steps sequel already being in improvement, we’ll see the MCU’s Unbelievable 4 again in motion when Avengers: Doomsday is launched on December 18, 2026. Right here’s hoping that we hear Chris Columbus’ ideas on First Steps a lot earlier than that, as I’m curious to study if that film was in any manner visually just like what he envisioned again in 1995.