In late July, Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe kicked off with the release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Marvel Studios’ long-awaited reboot that finally, properly brought the iconic superhero team into the MCU. The film was an integral part of the franchise’s Multiverse Saga, helping set the stage for next winter’s Avengers: Doomsday. Though First Steps suffered a steep drop at the box office during its second weekend, it’s earned a positive reception if reviews and audience reactions are anything to go by. Obviously, the film isn’t available on home media yet, but those hungry for a Fantastic Four fix in the living room have found the perfect Pixar movie on Disney+.
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That film in question, of course, is The Incredibles, Brad Bird’s 2004 superhero film that won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and grossed $631.6 million at the worldwide box office. According to data from FlixPatrol, which measures the popularity of titles on streaming services, The Incredibles ranks No. 9 on Disney+’s Top 10 movies — a list that also includes Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and a special look at First Steps. In the United States today, August 8th, The Incredibles is the third most-popular title on Disney’s in-app chart, behind only Freaky Friday and Rio.
While The Incredibles isn’t based on a pre-existing comic book, its links to the Fantastic Four were obvious to Marvel fans. Both properties revolve around families of superheroes coming to terms with their powers and an ever-changing world. The members of the two groups even have similar abilities. Violet Parr can turn invisible and create force fields, just like Sue Storm. Helen Parr, aka Elastigirl, can stretch a la Mister Fantastic. Bob Parr, Mr. Incredible himself, has super strength akin to Ben Grimm.
For a long time, viewers joked that The Incredibles was the best Fantastic Four film. Prior to The Fantastic Four: First Steps (which has a Certified Fresh critics score on Rotten Tomatoes), big-screen adaptations of the Fantastic Four comics routinely fell short with critics and at the box office. With First Steps, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige was committed to giving the classic characters the film adaptation they deserved. Amusingly, a First Steps TV spot incorporated a pull quote calling it “a live-action Incredibles” due to its familial themes.
The Incredibles is a great film worth watching any time of year, but it makes sense why the film is climbing up the streaming charts now. With The Fantastic Four: First Steps so fresh in viewers’ minds, there’s likely an appetite for something similar at home. Until First Steps gets a Disney+ release date, The Incredibles and its 2018 sequel are arguably the best options, offering superheroic tales that balance heart, humor, and action into a unique package. There’s a reason why The Incredibles has endured as one of Pixar’s premier titles for this long.
Fortunately for those who love watching the exploits of the Parr family, there’s another sequel on the way. Pixar has announced Incredibles 3, which will be directed by Peter Sohn (who previously helmed The Good Dinosaur and Elemental). Bird is still involved, but he is only writing the script while he also develops other projects. No release date has been set, but whenever Incredibles 3 arrives, it’ll surely send the other Incredibles films to the top of the Disney+ charts.
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Image courtesy of Focus Features.
