Fox is planning to reboot the Fantastic Four franchise with a new director, a new cast, and a new more serious attitude, according to IESB.  The first two FF movies were not exactly flops.  The initial film in the series earned $330 million worldwide, while the second brought in $290, but critics and, more importantly, fans were lukewarm in their response to the FF movies. 

Fox is currently contemplating “rebooting” other properties such as Daredevil and Planet of the Apes (see “New Planet of the Apes Movie”), and with Marvel eager to reclaim its properties for its Marvel Studios moviemaking arm, Fox is in a situation of “use it or lose it” with the FF and Daredevil.  Since the Fantastic Four films were far more successful that the ill-fated Fox Daredevil, it makes sense for the studio to concentrate its efforts on the FF first.

According to IESB, Fox execs want to create a Fantastic Four movie that is “less bubblegum” then their previous efforts, and follows the template of the high successful Iron Man, which was darker and more serious than the FF films.  If Fox doesn’t reboot the Fantastic Four franchise, it is likely that Marvel Studios will, which it precisely why Fox is evidently putting some effort into refashioning its approach to the property.