Marvel fans won't get to watch an extended version of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, director Matt Shakman has said, despite calls from fans for a longer edit of the film with its cut scenes restored.

As the filmmaker's three-year journey wound down on the project, he realized a key moment was missing, and managed to shoot it within a few months of the film's opening.

Not since Black Panther has the MCU delivered such an interesting backdrop that’s so refreshing. Even though the post-credit tease of The New Avengers suggests the FF will soon be hopping over to Earth-616, at least Earth-828 escapes Galactus’ hunger with the potential to return in the inevitable sequel to First Steps.

“He goes from being the nerdy scientist who’s locked away in the lab, to the husband and the father who’d do anything to protect his family, to the guy who’s leading the Avengers. I realized that the version we were building had to have all of those elements.”

Matt Shakman has given a blunt response to anyone who's reacted negatively to The Fantastic Four: First Steps ' visual effects (VFX).

Matt Shakman had just returned from Ireland after a months-long stint as director of “Game of Thrones” and was launching into his next project, a pilot for USA Network, when the call came.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe now has two back-to-back successes, Thunderbolts and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, both sitting with an 88% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Despite the slight butchering in the editing room, it hasn't deterred fans or critics. It's currently sitting at an 87% review score on aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, four points ahead of Superman. The verified fan score is even better, standing at an exceptional 93%.