Jon Watts is certainly one of many Marvel Cinematic Universe’s extra profitable filmmakers, having directed the primary three Tom Holland-led Spider-Man films. He actually left off on a excessive observe with the Internet-Slinger contemplating Spider-Man: No Approach Residence’s constructive crucial reception and making almost $2 billion worldwide, and there was a time when he was going to observe that up with subsequent month’s The Unbelievable 4: First Steps. Nevertheless, he finally dropped out of directing the upcoming Marvel film for a fairly relatable cause: COVID.
No, Watts didn’t exit the reboot as a result of he contracted COVID. Whereas talking to Collider’s Steve Weintraub on the Mediterrane Movie Competition (through THR), he defined that he felt drained after having to undergo so many additional COVID protocol hoops whereas taking pictures Spider-Man: No Approach Residence in the course of the rougher days of the pandemic. The director recalled:
The emotional pressure of getting to undergo all of these COVID protocols whereas additionally making an attempt to make one thing inventive whereas additionally making an attempt to guarantee that your solid and crew have been all protected — actually, individuals may’ve died for those who did issues mistaken — that and the postproduction course of was very troublesome. Once you’re doing [visual effects work], there’s an entire worldwide element to it the place you’re utilizing distributors from all around the world, and the provision chain had been interrupted due to COVID. It was actually exhausting to get results executed in a standard means.
Making a film isn’t straightforward, and definitely not ones on the size that Marvel Studios delivers to the plenty. There’s no query, nonetheless, that Spider-Man: No Approach Residence was on a completely completely different stage than its predecessors, Homecoming and Far From Residence, given the way it not solely integrated characters from each of the earlier Spider-Man movie sequence, but in addition Benedict Cumberbatch’s Physician Unusual. After which on prime of all that, Jon Watts and his staff needed to implement these COVID protocols with a view to preserve individuals protected on set.
Clearly these have been needed precautions and the film shouldn’t have been made with out them, however by the point all was stated and executed, Watts was exhausted. So regardless of having signed on to helm The Unbelievable 4: First Steps shortly earlier than No Approach Residence was launched, by April 2022, he stepped away from the gig. That’s as a result of he got here to the next realization:
I’m out of gasoline. The COVID layer on prime of constructing an enormous film layer, I knew I didn’t have what it might’ve taken to make that film nice. I used to be simply out of steam, so I simply wanted to take a while to get better. Everybody at Marvel completely understood. They’d been via it with me as effectively, in order that they knew how exhausting and draining that have has been; in the long run, very satisfying, however sooner or later, for those who can’t do it on the stage that you simply really feel like you want to for it to be nice, then it’s higher to not do it.
On the finish of August 2022, WandaVision’s Matt Shakman was tapped to exchange Jon Watts on the brand new Unbelievable 4 film, which required his personal exit from the long-awaited Star Trek 4. Watts finally adopted up Spider-Man: No Approach Residence with the George Clooney and Brad Pitt-led film Wolfs, which was alleged to get a sequel, but it surely was scrapped after Watts bought right into a disagreement with Apple. He additionally created the Star Wars TV sequence Skeleton Crew.
The Unbelievable 4: First Steps comes out on July 25, and Jon Watts admitted in the course of the occasion that it’ll be a “completely surreal expertise” for him to see the film. Watts additionally received’t be overseeing Peter Parker’s subsequent MCU journey, as Destin Daniel Cretton is helming 2026’s Spider-Man: Model New Day. He did, nonetheless, produce and craft the story for Ultimate Vacation spot: Bloodlines, which remains to be enjoying in theaters.