‘Fantastic Four’ hasn’t even had time to flop yet, although if its dazzling 9% score on Rotten Tomatoes is any indication, it’s just a matter of time.  But rather than the captain going down with the ship, director Josh Trank has seemingly already taken steps to distance himself from the film, claiming that the version in theaters isn’t the “version” that he had conceived.

The film has been hounded by negative buzz almost from the start, kicking off with the controversial casting of African American Michael B. Jordon as the typically Aryan Johnny Storm.  That argument seems trite in hindsight.  Fox Studios was apparently so nervous about the film that producers Simon Kinberg and Hutch Parker had to step in to reshoot scenes just three months before the movie was to hit theaters, effectively eating up the budget that would have gone into making a 3D version available.  This move was denied at the time, but it appears to have been the truth.

As advance criticisms mounted, Trank took to Twitter to clarify that the finished product wasn’t all his fault, stating that HIS version was “fantastic.”  He later deleted the tweet, since I’m sure Fox wasn’t happy about it, but Twitter user Mike Ryan had the foresight to save the original for the world to see:

Toxic rumors have surrounded this production for months.  Trank is alleged to have trashed the house he stayed in while making the movie and his behavior onset was described as “erratic” and “isolated” and his work was described as lacking direction.  There were even whispers of possible substance abuse that impaired his ability.

Kinberg is also producing ‘Star Wars: Rogue One’ which Trank had been attached to, but then he was suddenly… NOT attached to.  Though attempts were made to present an amicable split to the public, rumors quickly surfaced that it was Trank’s performance on the set of ‘Fantastic Four’ and the finished product that led to Disney cutting him loose.

Fox had already planned a sequel to this version of ‘Fantastic Four’ for 2017.  But PSHHH! As if!

Will you brave the theaters to see this movie and judge for yourself?  Or are you already convinced it would be a waste of time and money?  How do you feel about Trank distancing himself from it even before it has opened wide?

Source: The Hollywood Reporter