The Marvel Cinematic Universe will finally have its own version of the Fantastic Four, with an upcoming film set to be released in July 2025. Disney has confirmed the star-studded cast, which includes Pedro Pascal as Richard Reeds, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm.
While these heroes are considered some of the most important characters from the comic books, the first family of Marvel hasn’t had the best run on the big screen. However, Kevin Feige is set to change that luck with one of the most anticipated films of Phase 6 in the MCU franchise.
Naturally, the announcement of the cast has fans revisiting the first ‘Fantastic Four’ movies. So, find out where to watch all the initial films, as well as information about the cast, director, and reception.
Fantastic Four (2005)
Available to watch on: Disney+
The first adaptation was directed by Tim Story and it starred Jessica Alba, Ioan Gruffudd, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis. The film serves as an origin story of the Fantastic Four, who were astronauts who gained superpowers after being exposed to cosmic radiation during a space mission. They had to protect Earth from the villainous Doctor Doom.
The film mostly received mixed reviews from critics, but it performed well at the box office, grossing over $330 million worldwide. Many felt like Gruffudd and Evans’ performances were good, but were disappointed by Alba.
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
Available to watch on: Disney+
The sequel, also directed by Story, sees the Fantastic Four facing a new threat in the form of the Silver Surfer, who heralds the arrival of the planet-consuming entity known as Galactus. As they strive to stop this cosmic villain, the team must confront personal challenges and work together to save the world.
While it was praised for its visual effects and action sequences, critics felt that it failed to live up to its potential in terms of storytelling and character depth. It performed moderately well at the box office, grossing over $289 million worldwide.
Fantastic 4 (2015)
Available to watch on: Max
The last reboot of the franchise was “Fantastic Four,” which was released in 2015. Directed by Josh Trank, in this film the superheroes gain their powers through an experiment gone wrong. Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Bell played the titular heroes, but despite the great cast, the movie was critically panned.
It was criticized for its disjointed plot, underdeveloped characters, and departure from the source material. The film was a commercial disappointment, grossing just $167 million worldwide against a production budget of $155 million.
