Hollywood director Chris Columbus, known for helming "Home Alone" and "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," recently opened up about his experience with "Fantastic Four" over two decades ago. He revealed that he was fired by 20th Century Fox for suggesting the film's concept should be more aligned with legendary comic artist Jack Kirby's style and Marvel's Silver Age aesthetic. 
Recalling the incident on the "Fade to Black" podcast, Columbus explained that he was involved in the "Fantastic Four" script development and attended meetings as a producer with the director and other producers. He proposed that some conceptual designs should pay homage to Jack Kirby, embodying more of the Silver Age atmosphere.
However, this suggestion displeased studio executives. On his way home, Columbus received a call informing him he was being replaced due to "too many opinions." While he later received an executive producer credit, he had completely exited the project.
This experience had a profound impact on Columbus. He stated directly that "being fired completely soured me on superhero films." 
He added that upon seeing Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man 2" and later Matt Reeves' "The Batman," he realized he had no desire to return to the genre. He admitted that "others are doing it better than me, and better than I could have ever imagined."
Although Fox's 2005 "Fantastic Four" grossed $333 million worldwide, it only earned a 28% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Its sequel, "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," fared slightly better with a 37% rating, but the planned trilogy was ultimately canceled.
Regarding the film's reception, "The Thing" actor Michael Chiklis recently defended the movie, stating that he believed critics were too harsh at the time and that audience enjoyment was the true measure of its success.