2015’s Fantastic Four reboot has a unique distinction: it’s the lowest-rated Marvel movie on Rotten Tomatoes with a dismal 9%. While it’s expected that movie critics are often harsher on comic book movies than mainstream audiences, not even hardcore fans of the source material could muster much love for this interpretation of Marvel’s First Family. Directed and co-written by Josh Trank, and starring Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, and Toby Kebbell as Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic, Johnny Storm / Human Torch, Sue Storm / Invisible Woman, Ben Grimm / The Thing, and Victor Von Doom / Dr. Doom respectively, the film was lambasted by pretty much everyone for its bleak tone, lack of resemblance to the comic books, and messy plot.
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Perception of the film wasn’t helped when word got out about Fantastic Four’s troubled production. For example, the script was rewritten during filming by producers Hutch Parker and Simon Kinberg, resulting in considerable reshoots. Trank had numerous clashes with 20th Century Fox Studios, who made massive changes to the film without his input. There were even multiple reports that Trank exhibited eccentric and volatile behavior during production, increasing tensions between him and the studio. However, the biggest controversy around the film happened when Trank took to X (formerly Twitter) to post “A year ago I had a fantastic version of this. And it would’ve received great reviews. You’ll probably never see it. That’s reality though.” He deleted the post soon after, but it was clear that the making of the film was not exactly a smooth ride.
But, despite the many problems that plagued Fantastic Four and the sour taste it left in everyone’s mouth, is it beyond saving?
How the MCU Redeemed Past Characters
Fantastic Four isn’t the only film to be met with harsh criticism from fans and critics alike. The Blade films, Daredevil, Tim Story’s Fantastic Four films, and Elektra are hardly considered cinematic masterpieces, especially compared to the many fan-favorite and critically acclaimed movies put out by Marvel Studios. However, Deadpool & Wolverine managed to give several characters from these films new life by bringing back Wesley Snipes as Blade, Jennifer Garner as Elektra, and Chris Evans as Human Torch. And these weren’t just blink-and-you’ll-miss-them cameos; the film established them as survivors stranded in the Void, a cosmic dumping ground for characters from across the multiverse. By giving them one last hurrah by putting them in a stunning climactic fight scene, Deadpool & Wolverine serves as a redemptive coda to their respective franchises.
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This also wasn’t the first time that Marvel Studios gave fans closure on past Marvel movie misfires. Before Deadpool & Wolverine, there was Spider-Man: No Way Home, which saw Tom Holland’s wall-crawler team up with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s versions of the character. While Maguire’s first two outings as ol’ Webhead are still fondly remembered, Spider-Man 3 was a less-than-stellar conclusion to that trilogy. And even though Garfield’s debut as Spider-Man was a solid reboot, the muted reception to The Amazing Spider-Man 2 effectively prevented that franchise from continuing. And yet, No Way Home managed to not only bring those versions of the characters back in a way that made narrative sense, but it also salvaged their previous films; Maguire’s Spider-Man revealed that, despite the challenges of balancing regular life with the superhero life, he and Mary Jane Watson have found a way to make their romance work, and Garfield’s Spider-Man saved “MJ” during the climactic fight scene, something he failed to do with Gwen Stacy in his world.
How the MCU can redeem 2015’s Fantastic Four
It’s a tall order, but the narrative and thematic possibilities of the MCU’s multiverse concept may just be able to give the failed film a new lease on life. Despite the many issues with 2015’s Fantastic Four, a bad cast certainly wasn’t one of them. Teller, Jordan, Mara, Bell, and Kebbell are all talented actors and are more than deserving of a second chance to do something interesting with their characters. Because there was no sequel to the film, directors Anthony and Joe Russo, along with screenwriter Stephen McFeely, basically have carte blanche to develop their characters in interesting new ways and give them an important role in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
And while the MCU has its own Fantastic Four, having multiple versions of the same characters share the screen together would be a dream come true for fans of the comic books; in the source material, the FF have gone on more than their fair share of multiversal adventures and encountered their own counterparts, so there’s plenty for Marvel Studios to work with. Plus, if rumors are true that Deadpool will appear in the upcoming Avengers movies, who wouldn’t want to see him crack jokes about how dark and dour Fox’s Fantastic Four is compared to the Marvel Studios’ more optimistic and upbeat take on the characters? Or, even better, maybe have Deadpool make a joke about how the MCU is obligated to save yet another “failed” world or something.
But in all seriousness, though 2015’s Fantastic Four has only a few redemptive qualities, they’re still worth saving and, with some clever writing, can actually be used to further develop the MCU’s burgeoning multiverse. If Marvel Studios can pull this off, it could actually elevate the film from its status as a total mistake to a fascinating, if deeply flawed, part of the ever-growing cinematic universe.
