Chris Rock Asks J.J. Abrams to Direct, Rescue "Fantastic Four" Films

CBR

By Brendan McGuirk

Published Apr 16, 2016

In a conversation between directors, the comedian asked the sci-fi impresario to save one of his favorite franchises.

J.J. Abrams has proven to have a golden touch with relaunching beloved franchises -- from "Star Trek" to "Star Wars" -- but one superstar fan challenged the "Episode VII" director with perhaps an even taller task: rescuing the Fantastic Four from a fate worse than Doom.

Chris Rock and Abrams shared a sprawling conversation Friday night as part of the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, and touched on everything from Rey's parentage in "The Force Awakens" to Abrams's signature lens-flair visual affectation, but the most lighthearted moment might have came when the comedian Rock implored his fellow director to lend his magic touch to Marvel's erstwhile beloved First Family.

"Can you direct 'Fantastic Four?'" Rock, who was apparently not a fan of either Tim Story or Josh Trank's efforts, asked, according to EW. "Can someone save it? I love the Fantastic Four and they keep ****ing it up!"

Last summer's "Fantastic Four" feature, starring Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara and Jamie Bell, tanked both critically and commercially to depths not even the Mole Man could drive Reed Richards and company to, casting doubts on the property's sustaining viability, and Fox's ability as a studio to shepherd the franchise.

Following last summer's "Secret Wars" series, Marvel discontinued the ongoing publication of a "Fantastic Four" comic series, compounding fans' concerns for the Marvel mainstay. But if diehards like Rock can win over tastemakers like Abrams, it likely won't be long before the Four are re-assembled.