Star Trek 4 director Matt Shakman exits project following Fantastic Four report

Matt Shakman will no longer be directing Star Trek 4, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. The filmmaker, who recently helmed all nine episodes of the Emmy-winning series WandaVision, is said to have dropped out of the project due to his involvement in upcoming Marvel movie Fantastic Four.

"Matt Shakman is an incredibly talented filmmaker, and we regret the timing didn't align for him to direct our upcoming Star Trek film," Paramount Pictures said in a statement. "We are grateful for his many contributions, are excited about the creative vision of this next chapter and look forward to bringing it to audiences all around [the] world."

Prior to WandaVision, Shakman worked on titles such as The Boys, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Succession, and Game of Thrones. He is also attached to Apple's untitled Godzilla and the Titans show.

Cast members expected to return for Star Trek 4, which is set to follow on from 2009's Star Trek and its follow-ups Into Darkness and Beyond, include Chris Pine (as James T. Kirk), Karl Urban (as 'Bones' McCoy), Zoe Saldaña (Ntoya Uhura) John Cho (Hikaru Sulu), Simon Pegg (Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott), and Zachary Quinto (Spock). Production was scheduled to start in late 2022 ahead of a December 22, 2023 release date, though it’s unclear now as to whether the film will be pushed back while Paramount finds a new director. 

JJ. Abrams and Justin Lin are said to have overseen the fourth installment’s latest script, written by Josh Friedman (Snowpiercer) and Cameron Squires (WandaVision). Abrams and Alex Kurtzman will produce alongside Bryan Burk, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Tommy Harper. While we wait for the next Kelvin timeline adventure, check out our list of best sci-fi movies of all time.