Fantastic Four (2015 film)

Fantastic Four (stylized as FANT4STIC) is a 2015 superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. Directed by Josh Trank, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jeremy Slater and Simon Kinberg, it stars Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell and Toby Kebbell. The film follows a group of intelligent teenagers that build a transdimensional portal, causing them to gain superhuman abilities.

Fantastic Four
The titular Fantastic Four, standing in the center of the poster, with the film's title toward them and release date below them, with a destroyed city behind them.
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJosh Trank
Screenplay by
Based on
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMatthew Jensen
Edited by
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release dates
  • August 4, 2015 (2015-08-04) (New York City)
  • August 7, 2015 (2015-08-07) (United States)
Running time
100 minutes[2]
Countries
  • United States[3]
  • United Kingdom[3]
  • Germany
LanguageEnglish
Budget$120 million[4][5]
Box office$167.9 million[4]

20th Century Fox announced plans to reboot the franchise, and development of the film began in August 2009. Trank was hired to direct in July 2012 and the principal characters were cast in January 2014. Principal photography began in May 2014 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and lasted for two months. Dissatisfied with the director's original cut, Fox executives mandated reshoots, which took place in January 2015.

Fantastic Four premiered at Williamsburg Cinemas in New York City on August 4, 2015, and was released on August 7 in the United States. It received mostly negative reviews from critics for its screenplay, direction, acting, lack of humor, visual effects, pacing and unfaithfulness to the source material, although the soundtrack was praised. The film was a box-office bomb, grossing $167.9 million worldwide against a production budget of $120 million. It received several Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Director and Worst Picture. Trank also voiced his displeasure with the final film, blaming the studio's interference.

The film was the third and final Fantastic Four film to be distributed by 20th Century Fox, which was acquired by Disney in 2019. A sequel scheduled for release on June 9, 2017 was canceled after the first film's failure. Another reboot, titled The Fantastic Four: First Steps, is scheduled for release on July 25, 2025, as the first film in Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Plot

edit

Childhood friends Reed Richards and Ben Grimm have worked together on a prototype teleporter since youth, eventually attracting the attention of Professor Franklin Storm, director of the Baxter Foundation, a government-sponsored research institute for young prodigies. Reed is recruited to join them and aid Storm's children, scientist Sue Storm and engineer Johnny Storm, into completing a "Quantum Gate" designed by Storm's protégé Victor Von Doom.

The experiment is successful, and the facility's supervisor, Dr. Allen, plans to send a group from NASA to venture into a parallel dimension known as "Planet Zero". Disappointed at being denied the chance to join the expedition, Reed, Johnny and Victor along with Ben use the Quantum Gate to embark on an unsanctioned voyage to Planet Zero, which they learn is a world filled with otherworldly substances. Victor attempts to touch the green lava-like substance, causing the ground they are standing on to erupt. Reed, Johnny and Ben return to their shuttle just as Sue brings them back to Earth and Victor is seemingly killed after he falls into the collapsing landscape. The Quantum Gate explodes, altering Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben on a genetic level and granting them superhuman abilities beyond their control: Reed can stretch like rubber, Sue can become invisible and generate force fields, Johnny can engulf his entire body in fire and fly, and Ben acquires a rock-like hide which gives him superhuman strength and durability. They are then placed in government custody to be studied and have their abilities tested. Blaming himself for the accident, Reed escapes from the facility and tries to find a cure for their changes.

One year later in 2015, Reed is now a fugitive and has built a suit that helps him control his ability. Hiding in Central America, he is eventually found by the United States military with Sue's help and captured by Ben, who has become a military asset along with Johnny and Sue. Johnny and Sue have been outfitted with specialized suits designed to help them control their abilities. Reed is brought to Area 57, where Dr. Allen conscripts him into rebuilding the Quantum Gate in exchange for giving Reed the resources to find a cure. Arriving in Planet Zero, Dr. Allen's explorers find Victor, who has been fused to his spacesuit and now possesses telekinetic abilities, and bring him back to Earth. Believing that Earth needs to be destroyed to protect his new home world from future invasions, Victor kills the scientists and soldiers in the base, including Dr. Allen and Professor Storm, and returns to Planet Zero using the Quantum Gate, with Ben, Johnny, Reed and Sue in pursuit.

Now dubbing himself "Doom", Victor activates a portal on Planet Zero using the Quantum Gate and begins consuming the landscape of the Earth using a structure he created from the rock formations in Planet Zero. He is confronted by the four and, after a short battle, Ben punches Doom into the portal's energy beam, disintegrating him while Johnny closes the portal. Returning to Earth, the group is rewarded by the US military for their heroics by being given a new base of operations known as "Central City" to study their abilities without government interference. They decide to use their powers to help people and adopt the mantle of the "Fantastic Four".

Cast

edit
  • Miles Teller as Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic:
    Richards has been exploring the universe in his garage after school. He gains the ability to stretch his body into different forms and lengths.[6] Teller said of the role, "When I read the script, I didn't feel like I was reading this larger-than-life, incredible superhero tale. These are all very human people that end up having to become, I guess, what is known as the Fantastic Four. So for me it was just a really good story and gives me an opportunity to play something different from my own skin."[7] Owen Judge portrays Reed as a child while Fernando Rivera portrays Reed in disguise.
  • Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm / Human Torch:
    A troublemaker, thrill-seeker and the adopted younger brother of Sue Storm, he has the ability to shoot fireballs and fly.[8] Jordan said of the cast, "We're more or less a bunch of kids that had an accident and we have disabilities now that we have to cope with, and try to find a life afterwards – try to be as normal as we can."[9] Jordan previously worked with Trank on 2012's Chronicle, and according to Trank, Jordan's character in Chronicle shares characteristics with Johnny Storm.[10] Trank has described Storm as "smart, hilarious and charismatic."[11]
  • Kate Mara as Sue Storm / Invisible Woman:
    Brilliant, independent, and sarcastic, Storm has the ability to become invisible and generate force-fields.[12] Mara has said that she intended to focus on making her character "as real as possible".[13] Trank described Storm as "smart, dignified and [with] integrity."[14]
  • Jamie Bell as Ben Grimm / The Thing:
    Warm, sensitive, a loyal and protective friend, Grimm's stone body gives him super-strength and makes him "indestructible".[15] Trank said Grimm grew up an alienated child in a "tough" neighborhood.[10] Trank also said that Bell has "qualities" of warmth and strength which people would want to see from Grimm.[14] Bell has said that Grimm is the "heart of the group [Fantastic Four]".[16] In preparation for the motion-capture performance, Bell approached actor Andy Serkis for advice.[17] During filming, he wore a tracking suit and stilts to match the height and eye-line of The Thing.[18] Evan Hannemann portrays Grimm as a child.
  • Toby Kebbell as Victor Von Doom / Dr. Doom:
    A computer technician and computer scientist who is mentored by Dr. Franklin Storm. Doom finds a new father of sorts in Storm. Angry, vengeful, and bright,[19] Doom was changed in the Negative Zone, as were the other characters. Kebbell said that he concentrated the most on the voice of the character, adding, "on the animated series, they never got his voice what I imagined it to be when I read the comics as a little boy. What I spent the majority of my time doing was not just being a fan, but being a bit of pedant and making sure I got exactly what I always wanted to see."[20] Kinberg said that Doom is as central to the film as the "titular" heroes. He added that Doom has "aspirations and struggles that are a little bit more classically tragic than the other characters" and that the film would show how he becomes a villain.[21] Dr. Doom's full name in this film was originally going to be "Victor Domashev", but after backlash by fans, it was changed back to "Victor Von Doom" during reshoots, to match his name in the Marvel Comics universe.[22]
  • Reg E. Cathey as Dr. Franklin Storm:
    The biological father of Johnny and adoptive father to Sue.[19] Cathey described Franklin as a "brilliant scientist who has achieved much more than he thought he would" and that Franklin's main drive in life is to help "brilliant" kids who may have been dropped through the cracks or who were misunderstood.[23]
  • Tim Blake Nelson as Dr. Allen:
    A scientist who works for the government and takes part in training the members of the team to hone their abilities. Nelson said that Allen is "responsible for what the creative people do that he has to rein them in and discipline them."[24]

Additionally, Dan Castellaneta portrays Mr. Kenny, Reed's teacher, Tim Heidecker appears as Mr. Richards, Reed's stepfather, and Mary Rachel Dudley appears as Mrs. Richards. Wayne Pere and Rhonda Johnson Dents appear as Science Fair Judges.[25] Chet Hanks appears as Jimmy Grimm, Ben Grimm's older brother.[26]

Production

edit

Development

edit

This Fantastic Four movie is sort of a celebration of all the Fantastic Four comics that have preceded it. We have elements from the original Fantastic Four that there's a sort of optimism and inspirational quality to the film. In some ways a comedy that was really distinct in the original Fantastic Four. Also, the notion of this dysfunctional surrogate family that comes together and has to work together is very present in the movie that owes a great debt to the originals and this idea that they are scientists and that it's almost like this science adventure, more than being superheroes... We also owe a lot to the Ultimate's [sic] and the current crop of Fantastic Four comics.

—Simon Kinberg on adapting the Fantastic Four comic books into film[27]

In August 2009, 20th Century Fox announced that they would reboot the Fantastic Four film franchise, with Akiva Goldsman hired as producer, and Michael Green to write the screenplay.[28] At the time, actors Adrien Brody and Jonathan Rhys Meyers were considered for the role of Mr. Fantastic, and Kiefer Sutherland the role of The Thing. In July 2012, Josh Trank was hired to direct, and Jeremy Slater as screenwriter.[29][30] While Trank was being considered as director, X-Men: First Class writers Zack Stentz and Ashley Edward Miller were assigned to work on the script. After Trank officially signed on, he decided to write his own script instead.[31] Slater's original script featured the villains Galactus and Dr. Doom with Doom depicted as a spy who becomes a herald of Galactus, and eventually the dictator of Latveria.[32][33]

Trank and Slater's ideas for the movie were tonally opposite, with Slater revealing that he viewed 2012's The Avengers as a template, but Trank hated all of his ideas. Despite claiming to have been a fan of the Fantastic Four "when [he] was a kid",[34] Trank had only seen the 1994 cartoon series and had no interest in the superhero movie genre. He admitted that he found himself unable to identify with Slater's more comic book-centric tone. Trank left Slater out of discussions with Fox Studios and withheld certain studio notes. Slater added "I never saw 95% of those notes," and left after six months.[35] In February 2013, Matthew Vaughn was attached to produce, and Seth Grahame-Smith hired to polish the script.[36][37] In October 2013, Simon Kinberg was hired as co-writer and producer.[38] In April 2014, the Cavalry FX was hired for the film's pre-visualization.[18]

According to Mark Millar, 20th Century Fox's consultant for their Marvel Comics–based films, the film would take place in the same universe as the X-Men film series.[39] Although Kinberg contradicted this statement,[40] Bryan Singer confirmed talks of a potential crossover among Fox.[41] Trank has said that the film is heavily influenced by David Cronenberg, that 1981's Scanners and 1986's The Fly influenced the look of the film,[10] and that its overall tone would feel like a "cross between Steven Spielberg and Tim Burton".[42]

Casting

edit

In January 2014, Kinberg finished rewriting the script, and casting for the roles of Reed Richards and Susan Storm began.[43] Miles Teller, Kit Harington, Richard Madden, and Jack O'Connell were tested for the role of Reed, before Teller was cast. Meanwhile, Kate Mara, Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie, and Emmy Rossum were tested for Susan.[44][45] In February, it was revealed that Michael B. Jordan would play Johnny Storm / Human Torch, and Mara was cast as Susan Storm / Invisible Woman.[46] In March, Toby Kebbell was cast as Victor von Doom,[47] and Teller confirmed that Jamie Bell had been cast as Ben Grimm / The Thing.[7] Sam Riley, Eddie Redmayne, and Domhnall Gleeson were considered for Doctor Doom.[48] Mads Mikkelsen also auditioned for the role of Doom; Mikkelsen later stated that the only thing he was asked to do during his audition was stretch his arms as long as he could make them.[49][50] In April, Tim Blake Nelson entered final negotiations to play Harvey Elder.[51] In May, Reg E. Cathey was cast as Susan's and Johnny's father, Dr. Storm.[52]

The casting of a Black actor, Michael B. Jordan, as the new Johnny Storm spawned controversy among some fans.[53] Director Josh Trank justified his decision by saying the move to cast Jordan as Johnny Storm was taken to bring the iconic comic book team in line with real-world demographics.[54] Trank would receive numerous death threats through IMDb message boards and slept with a .38 Special on his nightstand. He returned the gun after production had wrapped.[35] He later admitted that he wanted to cast a Black actress for the role of Susan Storm, but that the studio insisted on retaining her ethnicity for the film. "I was mostly interested in a Black Susan Storm and a Black Johnny Storm and a Black Franklin Storm...when you're dealing with a studio on a massive movie like that, everybody wants to keep an open mind to who the big stars are going be...I found a lot of pretty heavy push back on casting a Black woman in that role." He added that being denied a Black Susan Storm should have convinced him to step away from the project.[55]

Filming

edit

Fantastic Four had a production budget of $155 million.[56] Principal photography commenced on May 5, 2014, at the Celtic Media Centre in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and ended on August 23, 2014, lasting for 72 days.[10][57][58][59] The film received $29.1 million in tax incentives and spent $97.4 million in Louisiana.[5] Matthew Jensen served as director of photography.[60] The film was planned to be shot in Vancouver, Canada, but was moved to Louisiana due to the state's film production tax incentives.[61] During filming, producers Hutch Parker and Simon Kinberg rewrote Trank's original script and gave the film a different ending.[62] In January 2015, reshoots were ordered by 20th Century Fox executives who were not satisfied with the film, feeling that the movie felt more like a sequel to Trank's previous film, Chronicle.[63][64]

Before the film's release, several sources had reported that there were multiple disagreements between 20th Century Fox and Trank during production. After being dissatisfied with Trank's original cut, Fox ordered their own changes to the film without Trank's supervision, changing and omitting certain major plot points from Trank's version. Many other sources claimed that there was "erratic behavior" from Trank on the set of the film, which resulted in Fox's negative treatment of him.[65][66] Trank posted a message on Twitter one day prior to the film's release that criticized the finished film. Expressing dissatisfaction towards the final product, he stated, "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."[67] Trank deleted the message shortly after.[68] While Fox distribution chief Chris Aronson claimed that Fox supported Trank's version of the film,[69] Kebbell conversely stated, "I tell you, the honest truth is [Trank] did cut a great film that you'll never see. That is a shame. A much darker version, and you'll never see it."[70] Trank further disowned the film by removing it from his Instagram filmography.[71]

After Stan Lee's death three years later, Trank lamented that he had "let him down", even though after the film's release, he had received a personal letter from Lee asking him if he was okay.[72] In 2020, Trank admitted that many of the sequences he had planned had gone unfilmed, making a director's cut practically nonexistent.[35] Later that year, Kate Mara admitted that her experience working on the film was "horrible". While she did not go into great detail, she implied that much of her discomfort came from questionable directions stating, "I think that speaking up is something that I think that we all probably learn it [sic] over and over again... I don't regret doing it at all, but do regret not having stood up for myself. I regret that for sure."[73]

Post-production

edit

The film used the Los Angeles-based company OTOY for its visual effects. Moving Picture Company, Pixomondo, Rodeo FX and Weta Digital also created visual effects for the film.[74][75][76] Moving Pictures Company took on the visual effects for The Thing, rendering a fully digital character based on Jamie Bell's on-set performance and the Human Torch's fiery visual effects. Weta Digital handled Reed Richards' stretch effects. Pixomondo delivered Susan Storm's force-field and cloaking effects and augmented Doom's costume. James E. Price served as the over-all visual effects supervisor.[18] Kinberg stated that the film would be converted to 3D in post-production,[77] but those plans were canceled, with Trank stating that he wanted "the viewing experience of Fantastic Four to remain as pure as possible for the audience, which means in 2D".[78] A sequence showing The Thing performing a "dive-bomb" in the film was cut due to budget constraints.[79]

The studio was caught off-guard by the first cut of the film for having a "morose tone". The ending had not been finalized and the studio hastily had to cobble together a new ending that was essentially composed of script pieces of the original draft, plus new ones that were being written on the day of reshoots. Many of Trank's suggestions were swiftly ignored. Stephen E. Rivkin was hired to edit the film together with Trank referring to him as the "de facto director" for the new cut. Despite Trank's efforts of having two edits of the film, Rivkin's was ultimately chosen over his.[35]

Music

edit

In January 2015, Marco Beltrami was hired to compose the film's score.[80] Philip Glass was also hired to work on the score with Beltrami.[10] Additional music contributions were made by Miles Hankins, Brandon Roberts, Marcus Trumpp, and Buck Sanders,[81] with American hip-hop recording artist El-P scoring the end credits of the film.[82] To promote the film, Kim Nam-joon, known as RM of the K-pop group BTS, and American recording artist Mandy Ventrice, worked on the digital single "Fantastic", which was released alongside the South Korean run of the film.[83] In July 2015, Beltrami attended the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con to discuss scoring the film. Beltrami described the score as "eerie" and "mysterious", landing it in a "musical territory leaning towards fantasy."[84] The film score was released on August 7, 2015, by Sony Classical Records.[85] In spite of the film's extremely negative reception, the soundtrack still garnered a positive response.[86][87][88]

Marketing

edit
 
The cast of Fantastic Four, including Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell and Toby Kebbell at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con to promote the film.

The teaser trailer for Fantastic Four was released in January 2015 to a generally positive response.[89] Graeme McMillan of The Hollywood Reporter gave the trailer a positive review, calling it a "surprisingly strong step in the right direction for a faithful adaptation of an often-problematic property."[90] Abraham Riesman of New York's Vulture also responded to the trailer positively, saying that the film "could be the most innovative and tonally unique marquee superhero movie."[91] However, correspondents for Newsarama noted that there was "nothing" in the trailer to characterize it as being based on the Fantastic Four, feeling it could have easily been a substitute for similar science fiction films such as 2014's Interstellar.[92] The trailer became the most-watched trailer in 20th Century Fox's history, surpassing the previous record-holder, 2014's X-Men: Days of Future Past.[21]

The second trailer for the film was released in April 2015.[93] Sean O'Connell of CinemaBlend called the trailer "amazing" and said that it "does a much better job of setting up everyone's roles."[94] Drew McWeeny of HitFix said the film "looks like it was approached with serious intent" and that the scale "feels positively intimate."[95] In the same month, the cast attended CinemaCon to present footage from the film, which also generated positive reviews.[96]

Release

edit

The world premiere of Fantastic Four was at Williamsburg Cinemas in New York City on August 4, 2015.[97] It was released in North America on August 7, 2015, on 3,995 screens.[98][99] In December 2012, it was scheduled for March 6, 2015 release,[100] which was changed in November 2013 to June 19, 2015, before settling on its final date of August 7, 2015.[101]

Reception

edit

Box office

edit

Fantastic Four grossed $56.1 million in North America and $111.8 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $167.9 million, against a production budget of $120 million (estimated $200 million including marketing and distribution costs), making it the lowest grossing theatrically released Fantastic Four film to date.[4][102]

In the United States and Canada, Fantastic Four was projected to take the top spot and earn around $40–50 million on its opening weekend, which would be lower than the opening weekend gross of 2005's Fantastic Four ($56.1 million) and 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer ($58.1 million).[98][103][104][105] The film made $2.7 million from late night previews on the night of August 6.[106] On its opening day, Fantastic Four earned $11.3 million (including Thursday's preview screenings), lower than early tracking,[107][108] and $25.6 million on its opening weekend,[109] marking one of the lowest openings of all time for a big-budget superhero movie which box office analysts have attributed to poor critical reviews and audience reception. It came in second place behind Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation ($28.5 million).[110] When asked by The New York Times to comment on the weekend box office results, Chris Aronson, Fox's president of domestic distribution said: "There's not much to say. I have never seen a confluence of events impact the opening of a movie so swiftly," referring to negative reviews and a renegade tweet by Trank that blamed the studio for the poor reviews.[102] In the film's second weekend, it grossed $8 million, dropping 69% from the opening weekend.[111] The Hollywood Reporter described the film as the second biggest box office failure of 2015, behind Tomorrowland, estimating the film's losses to be between $80 million and $100 million.[112][113]

Outside North America, the film grossed $33.1 million on its opening weekend from 43 countries from 8,996 screens, coming at second place behind Rogue Nation at the international box office. While it underperformed in certain countries, it opened at number one in 20 countries. Its top openings were in Mexico ($5.29 million), the United Kingdom, Ireland and Malta ($4.19 million), France ($3.85 million), Venezuela ($3.81 million) and Brazil ($3 million).[114][115]

Critical response

edit

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 9% of 261 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 3.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "Dull and downbeat, this Fantastic Four proves a woefully misguided attempt to translate a classic comic series without the humor, joy, or colorful thrills that made it great."[1] As of 2023, it is the lowest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes out of all theatrical films based on Marvel Comics properties.[116] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 27 out of 100, based on 40 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.[117] It received a "C−" rating from audiences surveyed by CinemaScore on a scale of A+ to F, which was referred to by Pamela McClintock of The Hollywood Reporter as "the worst grade that anyone can remember for a marquee superhero title made by a major Hollywood studio" and the lowest audience score for a comic-book film until 2024's Joker: Folie à Deux.[118]

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave Fantastic Four one star out of four, calling it "the cinematic equivalent of malware" and "worse than worthless."[119] Jim Vejvoda of IGN criticized the film as "aesthetically drab and dramatically inert", said that the two previous Fantastic Four films "seem better in hindsight", and that the film did not show enough character development between the members of the team. He also criticized the blatant continuity errors, such as Mara's changing hair style and color and Teller's disappearing facial hair, brought on by the film's reshoots.[120] Brian Lowry of Variety found the film to be a technical improvement over the 2005 release but criticized its uneven pacing and writing, saying "Ultimately, Fox's stab at reviving one of its inherited Marvel properties feels less like a blockbuster for this age of comics-oriented tentpoles than it does another also-ran—not an embarrassment, but an experiment that didn't gel."[121] Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter felt the film is "like a 100-minute trailer for a movie that never happens." He called the film "maddeningly lame and unimaginative" in addition to criticizing the visual style as a "dark, unattractive, gloomy mode."[122] In a review for Screen Daily, Tim Grierson criticized the film's narrative as nonsensical, making the film "progressively more muddled and tedious."[123] A.O. Scott of The New York Times noted that it "feels less like a tale of superhero beginnings than like a very long precredit opening sequence."[124]

David Jenkins of Little White Lies, on the other hand, praised Fantastic Four for its stylistic deviation from other recent superhero films, and argued that the film's characters "make decisions which may appear to lack credibility, but the writing works hard to show you why these people are doing what they are doing – and it's not just haphazard patching work, but believable reasons which build on the themes of the movie".[125] James Berardinelli gave the film 2.5/4 stars, saying Fantastic Four is "no better or worse [than] the other superhero movies of 2015", welcoming the dark tone, and praising the performance of the main actors. Berardinelli concluded that as a superhero film, "it falls into the 'adequate' range of the spectrum—neither memorable nor forgettable."[126] Jake Wilson of The Sydney Morning Herald gave the film 3/5 stars, praising the Fantastic Four's transformation sequence and Teller's performance, and wrote: "what distinguishes the film's approach is the faith it puts in its young lead actors".[127]

Yahoo! Movies,[128] Toronto Sun,[129] Indiewire,[130] and Rolling Stone have included Fantastic Four in their lists compiling the worst films of 2015.[131] In 2022, whilst promoting the Disney+ miniseries Moon Knight the film's writer Jeremy Slater stated he had initially envisioned giving the film a lighter tone similar to that seen in Marvel Cinematic Universe film but that Trank was against this idea.[132] In a retrospective piece on the film published in 2024 following the announcement of the reboot in the Marvel Cinematic Universe Samuel Williamson of Collider giving the opinion that putting the Fantastic Four inside a gritty drama made no sense, further opining that Miles Teller was too young for the role of Reed Richards/Mr Fantastic at the time of the film's release and that Jamie Bell had just been miscast as Ben Grimm/The Thing.[133]

Accolades

edit
Award Category Recipient Result
BET Awards[134] Best Actor Michael B. Jordan (also for Creed) Won
CinemaCon[135] Ensemble Award Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara and Jamie Bell Won
Golden Raspberry Awards[136] Worst Picture Simon Kinberg, Matthew Vaughn, Hutch Parker, Robert Kulzer and Gregory Goodman Won[a]
Worst Director Josh Trank Won
Worst Screenplay Jeremy Slater, Simon Kinberg and Josh Trank;
Based on the Marvel Comics characters by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Nominated
Worst Screen Combo All four "Fantastics" (Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara and Jamie Bell) Nominated
Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel Simon Kinberg, Matthew Vaughn, Hutch Parker, Robert Kulzer and Gregory Goodman Won
Golden Schmoes Awards[137] Worst Movie of the Year Nominated
Biggest Disappointment of the Year Nominated
Houston Film Critics Society Awards[138][139] Worst Picture Nominated
St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Awards[140] Worst Film Nominated
Teen Choice Awards[141] Choice Movie: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Nominated

Home media

edit

Fantastic Four was released by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment on Blu-ray and DVD on December 15, 2015.[142] It was later released on Ultra HD Blu-ray on March 1, 2016.[143] It was also released on the Disney+ streaming service in June 2020, the first Marvel movie produced by Fox to be on the service.[144]

As of February 2016, Fantastic Four had sold nearly 400,000 DVD copies and 350,000 Blu-ray copies, for a total of 750,000 copies. As of December 2018, the film had grossed $13.4 million on home video.[145]

Future

edit

Cancelled sequel

edit

Before Fantastic Four began filming, 20th Century Fox announced plans for a sequel with a scheduled release date of July 14, 2017.[146] Fox then rescheduled the release for June 2, 2017, with War for the Planet of the Apes taking its place on the July 14, 2017, slot.[147] It changed the release date again to June 9, 2017, to be two weeks after Star Wars: The Last Jedi's initial scheduled release date of May 26, 2017.[148]

Due to Fantastic Four's poor box office performance, negative reviews, and poor home media sales, Pamela McClintock of The Hollywood Reporter said that it "throws into question whether Fox will move ahead with a sequel".[112] Phil Hoad of The Guardian said it would "be interesting" to see if Fox proceeds with a sequel and if it keeps the "gritty-on-paper" tone, noting that if Fox did not produce another film by 2022, the rights would revert to Marvel Studios.[149][150][151][152] Despite the performance, Fox still planned to produce a sequel, with Simon Kinberg working on the project.[153] Drew McWeeny of HitFix said that while a sequel may not be produced in time for the 2017 release date, Fox would likely attempt to salvage the franchise, working with Trank's defined vision and adding adjustments to it.[154] While Kinberg affirmed his intent to make a sequel, Kate Mara said that a sequel looked unlikely, despite expressing interest in reprising her role as Susan Storm.[153] In September 2015, Tommy Wiseau expressed enthusiasm in directing a sequel, having personal admiration for the film.[155]

The sequel was removed from Fox's release schedule in November 2015.[156] In May 2016, Kinberg reaffirmed his intent to make another Fantastic Four film with the same cast.[157] Later that month, Toby Kebbell stated he had no interest in reprising his role as Dr. Doom if a sequel were to happen.[158] In August, both Miles Teller and Kate Mara said they were open to returning for a sequel.[159][160] When asked by Collider whether they would make another Fantastic Four film, Kinberg answered: "I have no idea. I think the truth is we would not do another Fantastic Four movie until it was ready to be made. One of the lessons we learned on that movie is we want to make sure to get it 100% right, because we will not get another chance with the fans".[161]

Matthew Vaughn has expressed interest in directing a new version of Fantastic Four himself as an apology for the performance of the 2015 film.[162] Concept artist Alexander Lozano revealed that Trank's iteration of the Fantastic Four was considered for cameo appearances in Tim Miller's take on Deadpool 2.[163]

Marvel Cinematic Universe

edit

Toby Kebbell said that he would only be interested in returning to the role of Doctor Doom if he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Kebbell added: "Truth is, Doom is an incredible bad guy. They just keep trying to force him into the Fantastic Four... Doom is a monster, but you know my Doom was not, so there's that".[164] Stan Lee (co-creator of the Fantastic Four) also expressed interest in the Fantastic Four, as well as the X-Men, returning to Marvel Studios: "We should have all of our characters under Marvel. Remind me on my way home to do something about that. We'll do our best".[165] However, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige stated in June 2017 that there were no plans of adding the Fantastic Four to the MCU at that time.[166]

In December 2017, Marvel Studios' parent company, The Walt Disney Company, agreed to acquire 20th Century Fox's parent company, 21st Century Fox. Disney's CEO Bob Iger said that they planned to integrate the Fantastic Four into the MCU.[167] The merger was completed by March 20, 2019, and as a result, the film rights reverted to Marvel Studios.[168] At the 2019 Marvel Studios San Diego Comic-Con Hall H presentation, Feige announced that a Fantastic Four film which is set in the MCU is in development.[169][170] By December 2020, Jon Watts, director of the MCU films Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Spider-Man: No Way Home, was attached to direct the film,[171] but later stepped down from the project in April 2022, citing the need to take a break from comic book and superhero films.[172]

Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic made his MCU debut in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as a multiversal variant and a member of the Illuminati. He is portrayed by John Krasinski, who had previously expressed interest in portraying Richards.[173][174] Additionally, the Baxter Foundation is mentioned in the film as the employer of Christine Palmer.

It was revealed in late August that WandaVision director Matt Shakman was in talks to direct the film and then was later confirmed to be directing at the 2022 D23 event.[175][176] It was also revealed that Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer were hired to write the script with Josh Friedman revealed in March 2023 to be a new writer.[177][178]

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is scheduled to be released in the United States on July 25, 2025, as the first film of Phase Six of the MCU. Feige confirmed that the film would not be an origin story, a decision compared to that of Spider-Man: Homecoming.[179][180] Miles Teller said that he would return as Mister Fantastic in another Fantastic Four film "if the script is good".[181]

Notes

edit
  1. ^ Tied with Fifty Shades of Grey.

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Fantastic Four (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. August 7, 2015. Archived from the original on May 24, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2021.  
  2. ^ "Fantastic Four (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. July 29, 2015. Archived from the original on August 21, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  3. ^ a b "Fantastic Four (2015)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on March 10, 2017. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c "Fantastic Four (2015)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on February 23, 2016. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  5. ^ a b FilmL.A. (June 15, 2016). "2015 Feature Film Study" (PDF). Archived from the original on July 4, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  6. ^ "FANTASTIC FOUR In Theaters August 2015". Archived from the original on November 24, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  7. ^ a b Vejvoda, Jim (March 8, 2014). "Miles Teller on What Appealed to Him About The Fantastic Four Reboot". IGN. Archived from the original on November 6, 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  8. ^ "FANTASTIC FOUR In Theaters August 2015". Archived from the original on November 24, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  9. ^ Roedel, Jeff (July 22, 2014). "Michael B. Jordan talks Fantastic Four". 225batonrouge.com. Archived from the original on July 29, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  10. ^ a b c d e Weintaub, Steve (January 27, 2015). "'The Fantastic Four' Movie Details, Images, Easter Eggs, Tone, and More". Collider. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  11. ^ Fantastic Four Michael B. Jordan Cast Commentary. April 4, 2015. Archived from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2015 – via YouTube.
  12. ^ "FANTASTIC FOUR In Theaters August 2015". Archived from the original on November 24, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  13. ^ Wigler, Josh (July 15, 2014). "Kate Mara, Future Fantastic Four Star, Has Never Read a Comic Book". MTV News. Archived from the original on August 9, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  14. ^ a b Nemiroff, Perri (February 26, 2015). "Fantastic Four Details on The Thing's Transformation Cocoon and More". Collider. Archived from the original on February 27, 2015. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  15. ^ "FANTASTIC FOUR In Theaters August 2015". Archived from the original on November 24, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  16. ^ Cabin, Chris (July 11, 2015). "Fantastic Four Comic-Con Panel Recap: Final Trailer Details". Collider. Archived from the original on July 14, 2015. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
  17. ^ Blickley, Leigh (April 9, 2015). "Jamie Bell Worked With Andy Serkis to Perfect The Thing in Fantastic Four". HuffPost. Archived from the original on April 13, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
  18. ^ a b c Failes, Ian (August 9, 2015). "Fantastic five". FXguide. Archived from the original on August 14, 2015. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  19. ^ a b Douglas, Edward (July 12, 2015). "Comic Con Interview: Fantastic Four's Toby Kebbell". Superhero Hype. Archived from the original on July 13, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  20. ^ Goldberg, Matt (November 10, 2014). "Exclusive: Toby Kebbell Reveals Doctor Doom's Radically New Origin in THE FANTASTIC FOUR Movie". Collider. Archived from the original on November 12, 2014. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
  21. ^ a b Franich, Darren (January 30, 2015). "'X-Men: Apocalypse': Rose Byrne returning as Moira MacTaggert -- Exclusive". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 30, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  22. ^ Wilding, Josh (August 6, 2015). "Toby Kebbell Talks 'Victor Domashev' Name Change And Teases FANTASTIC FOUR 2". ComicBookMovie.com. Archived from the original on August 9, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  23. ^ The Fantastic Four: Reg E. Cathey "Dr. Storm" Behind the Scenes Movie Interview - 2015. July 30, 2015. Archived from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2015 – via YouTube.
  24. ^ "The Fantastic Four: Tim Blake Nelson "Elder" Behind the Scenes Movie Interview -2015 | ScreenSlam - YouTube". YouTube. July 30, 2015. Archived from the original on June 18, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  25. ^ "The Final FANTASTIC FOUR Trailer is Here". Nerdist. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  26. ^ "Who Is White Rapper Blake on 'Empire'? That's Tom Hanks' Son Chet". 2 Paragraphs. May 2, 2018. Archived from the original on September 2, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  27. ^ Dietsch, TJ (July 24, 2014). "'Fantastic Four' is a Celebration of 'Comics That Preceded It,' Simon Kinberg Says". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on August 17, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  28. ^ "Fox is Rebooting Fantastic Four". SuperHeroHype.com. August 31, 2009. Archived from the original on June 13, 2013. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  29. ^ "Comic-Con: Fantastic Four Director Confirmed While Daredevil Director Exits". SuperHeroHype.com. July 11, 2012. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  30. ^ Perry, Spencer (July 13, 2012). "Comic-Con: Fantastic Four Reboot Gets a Writer". SuperHeroHype.com. Archived from the original on May 11, 2013. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  31. ^ Smith, Kevin (May 30, 2019). Zack Stentz, Writer of Rim of the World, Thor, X-Men First Class. Kevin Smith. Archived from the original on November 13, 2021 – via YouTube.
  32. ^ Chitwood, Adam (August 19, 2015). "Original 'Fantastic Four' Script Included Galactus, Mole Man, and Much More Action". Collider. Archived from the original on August 21, 2015. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  33. ^ Faraci, Devin (August 18, 2015). "What Was FANTASTIC FOUR Like Before Simon Kinberg?". SuperHeroHype.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  34. ^ The Fantastic Four: Director Josh Trank Behind the Scenes Movie Interview -2015 | ScreenSlam. YouTube. ScreenSlam. July 30, 2015. Archived from the original on December 12, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  35. ^ a b c d Patches, Matt (May 5, 2020). "The post-disaster artist". Polygon. Archived from the original on May 5, 2020. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  36. ^ Lesnick, Silas (February 22, 2013). "Matthew Vaughn to Produce Fantastic Four". Archived from the original on July 6, 2013. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  37. ^ Lesnick, Silas (February 26, 2013). "Seth Grahame-Smith Boards Fantastic Four". SuperHeroHype.com. Archived from the original on June 13, 2013. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  38. ^ Kit, Borys (October 1, 2013). "Simon Kinberg Tapped to Write 'Fantastic Four' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  39. ^ "SFX239 Preview: Mark Millar On Fantastic Four". SFX.co.uk. August 19, 2013. Archived from the original on August 22, 2013. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  40. ^ Ryan, Mike (May 12, 2014). "'Fantastic Four' Writer-Producer Simon Kinberg on Shared Universes and the Challenges of an Origin Story". Screencrush. Archived from the original on May 14, 2014. Retrieved May 13, 2014.
  41. ^ "Bryan Singer Hints At X-Men/Fantastic Four Crossover (Exclusive)". Yahoo UK. July 23, 2015. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  42. ^ "Fantastic Four: EW preview". Entertainment Weekly. April 9, 2015. Archived from the original on January 18, 2016. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  43. ^ Kroll, Justin (January 21, 2014). "Fantastic Four' Script In, Actors to Test by End of Month". Variety. Archived from the original on August 14, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
  44. ^ Kroll, Justin (October 9, 2013). "'Fantastic Four': Actors and Actresses Lining Up for Roles". Variety. Archived from the original on February 20, 2020. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  45. ^ Kit, Borys (February 5, 2014). "Fantastic Four' Screen Tests: Emmy Rossum, Kate Mara and Miles Teller in the mix". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 5, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
  46. ^ Kroll, Justin (February 19, 2014). "'Fantastic Four' Cast Revealed". Variety. Archived from the original on August 3, 2020. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  47. ^ "Toby Kebbell to Play 'Fantastic Four' Villain Doctor Doom (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. April 1, 2014. Archived from the original on July 2, 2020. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  48. ^ Sneider, Jeff (March 11, 2014). "'Fantastic Four': Dr. Doom Short List Down to 4 Actors With Accents (Exclusive)". The Wrap. Archived from the original on May 5, 2014. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  49. ^ Watson, Lexi (March 16, 2017). "Hannibal's Mads Mikkelsen walked out of his Fantastic Four audition". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on March 17, 2017. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  50. ^ Hadden, James (July 31, 2017). "Exclusive: Mads Mikkelsen Interested In Playing DOCTOR DOOM". ScreenGeek. Archived from the original on November 3, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017. I didn't walk out. When I left it, I was just like – this is crazy. I don't even have long arms. What am I doing in here? The audition was only about long arms. No lines. I felt a little funny.
  51. ^ Kit, Borys (April 30, 2014). "Tim Blake Nelson in Final Talks to Join 'The Fantastic Four' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 3, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  52. ^ Siegel, Tatiana (May 8, 2014). "Fox's 'Fantastic Four' Reboot Adds 'The Wire's' Reg E. Cathey (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 2, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  53. ^ Maurice Mitchell (October 8, 2015). "5 Reasons Black Johnny Storm is a Terrible Idea (In "Fantastic Four" Anyway)". The Geek Twins. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
  54. ^ Ben Child (June 4, 2015). "Fantastic Four film-makers respond to criticism of decision to cast black actor". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 4, 2017. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
  55. ^ Butler III, Robert (June 5, 2020). "Exclusive: Josh Trank Wanted Black Actress For Role of Sue Storm in 'Fantastic Four'". Geeks of Color. Archived from the original on June 5, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  56. ^ McClintock, Pamela (April 21, 2015). "Summer Box Office: What's Behind Warner Bros.' Risky Move to Release Nine Movies". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  57. ^ Scott, Mike (May 5, 2014). "'Fantastic Four' reboot begins filming today in Baton Rouge; here's what we know so far". Times-Picayune. Archived from the original on May 5, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
  58. ^ Christine (May 5, 2014). "'Fantastic Four' begins filming in Louisiana!". onlocationvacations.com. Archived from the original on May 6, 2014. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  59. ^ Panda, Robo (August 23, 2014). "Fantastic Four Director Josh Trank Tweets a First Look At The Thing". Uproxx. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  60. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (December 3, 2013). "Six Montana Artists Agents & Executives Led By Toppers Matt Birch & Ralph Berge Join APA". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 20, 2014. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
  61. ^ Lang, Brent (July 24, 2013). "'Fantastic Four' Reboot Moving Production From Vancouver to Louisiana (Exclusive)". The Wrap. Archived from the original on August 21, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  62. ^ "'Fantastic Four' Flop: How Much Damage Did Director Josh Trank's Tweet Cause?". TheWrap. August 9, 2015. Archived from the original on August 11, 2015. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  63. ^ Romano, Nick (January 16, 2015). "The Fantastic Four May be a Mess; Reshoots Ordered; Trailer Date Revealed". Paste. Archived from the original on August 20, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  64. ^ Agar, Chris (January 15, 2015). "'Fantastic Four' Rumors: Reboot a 'Mess' & Reshoots Scheduled [Updated]". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on December 29, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  65. ^ "'Fantastic Four': What We Know About What Went Wrong". Screen Rant. August 8, 2015. Archived from the original on May 27, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  66. ^ "Fantastic Four's director says Fox made his great movie terrible. Is he right?". Vox. August 12, 2015. Archived from the original on August 14, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  67. ^ Breznican, Anthony (August 7, 2015). "Why did Fantastic Four director Josh Trank slam his own movie?". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 23, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  68. ^ "Josh Trank Responds To Fantastic Four Criticism". Cinema Blend. August 7, 2015. Archived from the original on August 8, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  69. ^ "'Fantastic Four' Flop: How Much Damage Did Director Josh Trank's Tweet Cause?". TheWrap. August 9, 2015. Archived from the original on March 31, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  70. ^ Yamato, Jen (June 7, 2016). "The Best Actor You May Never Recognize". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on July 18, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  71. ^ Chapman, Tom (March 24, 2018). "Josh Trank Redacts Fantastic Four From Filmography On Instagram". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on March 24, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  72. ^ Chapman, Tom (November 13, 2018). "Fantastic Four Director Says He Let Stan Lee Down". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on November 14, 2018. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  73. ^ Nemiroff, Perri (November 12, 2020). "Kate Mara Reflects on 'Fantastic Four' Experience: "I Do Regret Not Having Stood Up for Myself"". Collider. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  74. ^ "MPC — Fantastic Four". Archived from the original on May 8, 2016. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  75. ^ "Weta Digital". Archived from the original on February 15, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  76. ^ Frei, Vincent (August 4, 2015). "Fantastic Four". Archived from the original on April 15, 2015. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  77. ^ "Writer/Producer Simon Kinberg Talks THE FANTASTIC FOUR, Post-Converting to 3D, the Grounded Tone, and Writing Towards the Sequels". Collider.com. May 8, 2014. Archived from the original on June 13, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  78. ^ Lloyd, Kenji (July 11, 2015). "Fantastic Four 3D Post-Conversion Officially Cancelled". Final Reel. Archived from the original on July 11, 2015. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  79. ^ Brenizcan, Anthony (August 27, 2015). "Here's what the mysterious deleted 'Fantastic Four' scene was supposed to be..." Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 20, 2015. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  80. ^ "Marco Beltrami to Score 'The Fantastic Four' Reboot". Film Music Reporter. January 6, 2015. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  81. ^ "Filmtracks: Fantastic Four (Marco Beltrami/Philip Glass)". Filmtracks Publications. November 12, 2015. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  82. ^ Beauchemin, Molly (July 11, 2015). "El-P Scored The End Credits For The New Fantastic Four Movie". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on July 12, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  83. ^ thewesterngirl (July 31, 2015). "Rap Monster to drop a digital single in collaboration with Hollywood film 'Fantastic Four'!". allkpop. Archived from the original on August 2, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  84. ^ Charrow, Abel (July 11, 2015). "Junkie XL, Brian Tyler, Marco Beltrami Discuss Scoring for Superheroes and Franchises". Nerdist. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  85. ^ "Fantastic Four Soundtrack Details". July 9, 2015. Archived from the original on December 29, 2019. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  86. ^ Tillnes, Jørn. "Soundtrack Review: Fantastic Four". Soundtrack Geek. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  87. ^ Manduteanu, Mihnea. "Soundtrack review: Fantastic four (Marco Beltrami and Philipp Glass – 2015)". Soundtrack Dreams. Archived from the original on August 6, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  88. ^ Trate, Robert. "Fantastic Four Soundtrack Review". Scifi Movie Page. Archived from the original on August 13, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
  89. ^ "The Fantastic Four Trailer is Here!". SuperHeroHype.com. January 27, 2015. Archived from the original on January 29, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  90. ^ McMillan, Graeme (January 27, 2015). "How the New 'Fantastic Four' Trailers Stays Faithful to the Original Comics". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 30, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  91. ^ Riesman, Abraham (January 28, 2015). "The Fantastic Four Movie Seems Really Good!". Vulture.com. Archived from the original on January 28, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  92. ^ "The FANTASTIC FOUR Trailer: Our First Reactions". Newsarama. January 27, 2015. Archived from the original on January 29, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  93. ^ Perry, Spencer (April 19, 2015). "The New Trailer for Fantastic Four is Here!". SuperHeroHype. Archived from the original on April 21, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  94. ^ O'Connell, Sean (April 19, 2015). "A New Fantastic Four Trailer Is Online, And It's Amazing". CINEMABLEND. Archived from the original on April 21, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  95. ^ McWeeny, Drew (April 19, 2015). "New Fantastic Four trailer gives us our best look yet at the team in action". Archived from the original on April 22, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  96. ^ McNary, Dave (April 23, 2015). "'Fantastic Four' Footage, Cast Impress Exhibitors at CinemaCon". Variety. Archived from the original on April 25, 2015. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
  97. ^ Reed, Sam (August 5, 2015). "Kate Mara in Valentino at the Fantastic Four Premiere". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  98. ^ a b McClintock, Pamela (August 5, 2015). "Box-Office Preview: 'Fantastic Four' to Lead Jam-Packed Weekend". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 7, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  99. ^ McClintock, Pamela (September 18, 2014). "'X-Men' Spin-Off 'Deadpool' Gets Winter 2016 Release Date". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 19, 2014. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
  100. ^ "Release Date Set for Fantastic Four Reboot". SuperHeroHype.com. December 8, 2012. Archived from the original on July 24, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
  101. ^ Perry, Spencer (November 12, 2013). "Fantastic Four, The Secret Service and Assassin's Creed Get New Release Dates". SuperHeroHype.com. Archived from the original on July 24, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
  102. ^ a b Barnes, Brooks (August 9, 2015). "'Fantastic Four' Lacks Superpowers at Box Office". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 10, 2015. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  103. ^ Busch, Anita (August 4, 2015). "'Fantastic Four' Will Top Busy Box Office Weekend – Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 5, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  104. ^ Lang, Brent (August 4, 2015). "Box Office: 'Fantastic Four' Muscles in on 'Mission: Impossible 5'". Variety. Archived from the original on August 9, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  105. ^ Keith Simanton (August 6, 2015). "Forecast: 'Fantastic Four' Takes First". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on August 8, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  106. ^ Ford, Rebecca (August 7, 2015). "Box Office: 'Fantastic Four' Takes in $2.7 Million Thursday Night". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  107. ^ Pallotta, Frank (August 7, 2015). "'Fantastic Four' box office could be doomed by its bad reviews". CNNMoney. Archived from the original on August 10, 2015. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  108. ^ McClintock, Pamela (August 7, 2015). "Box Office: 'Fantastic Four' Falls Flat, Could Lose to 'Mission: Impossible'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  109. ^ "Fantastic Four (2015) – Daily Box Office Results". September 29, 2015. Archived from the original on September 29, 2015. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  110. ^ McClintock, Pamela (August 9, 2015). "Box Office: 'Fantastic Four' Flops with $26.2M, Loses to 'Mission: Impossible'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  111. ^ Kilday, Gregg (August 16, 2015). "Box Office: 'Straight Outta Compton' Breaks Out With Massive $56.1M". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 28, 2020. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  112. ^ a b McClintock, Pamela (September 4, 2015). "Summer Box-Office Flops: 'Tomorrowland,' 'Fantastic Four' Top List". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  113. ^ Brent Lang (November 4, 2015). "'Fantastic Four' Failure Takes Bite Out of Fox's Earnings". Variety. Archived from the original on November 6, 2015. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  114. ^ Nancy Tartaglione (August 10, 2015). "'Rogue Nation' Flies Higher In 2nd Frame With $65M; 'Fantastic Four' No. 2 With $33.1M Bow – Intl Box Office Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  115. ^ Nancy Tartaglione (August 23, 2015). "'Terminator' Back To No. 1 As China Re-Opens; 'M:I5' Adds $25M; 'Hitman' Contracts $8.5M – Intl B.O. Update". Deadline Hollywood. (Penske Media Corporation). Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  116. ^ Keyes, Rob (August 8, 2015). "'Fantastic Four' Is The Worst Reviewed Marvel Movie Ever". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on August 21, 2015. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  117. ^ "Fantastic Four". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Archived from the original on August 18, 2015. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  118. ^ McClintock, Pamela (August 9, 2015). "'Fantastic Four' Gets Worst CinemaScore Ever for Studio Superhero Movie". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  119. ^ Travers, Peter (August 6, 2015). "How bad is this reboot of Marvel's first superheroes? Worse than you can imagine". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 8, 2015. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  120. ^ Vejvoda, Jim (August 6, 2015). "Fantastic Four Review". IGN. Archived from the original on August 7, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  121. ^ Brian Lowry (August 4, 2015). "Film Review: 'Fantastic Four'". Variety. Archived from the original on April 27, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  122. ^ Todd McCarthy (August 5, 2015). "'Fantastic Four': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 6, 2015. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  123. ^ Tim Grierson (August 4, 2015). "'Fantastic Four': Review". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on August 6, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
  124. ^ Scott, A.O. (August 6, 2015). "Review: 'Fantastic Four,' the Reboot (Wanted or Not)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 7, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  125. ^ David Jenkins (August 5, 2015). "Fantastic Four Review". Little White Lies. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  126. ^ Berardinelli, James (August 6, 2015). "Fantastic Four (United States, 2015)". ReelViews. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  127. ^ Wilson, Jake (August 7, 2015). "Fantastic Four review: Miles Teller compelling in freakish origin story". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  128. ^ "The 10 Worst Movies of 2015". Yahoo.com. December 17, 2015. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  129. ^ "The 10 worst movies of 2015 starring Fantastic Four, Jurassic World, Sisters and". Torontosun.com. December 29, 2015. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  130. ^ Kiang, Jessica (December 9, 2015). "The 20 Worst Films Of 2015". IndieWire. Archived from the original on March 1, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  131. ^ Ehrlich, David (December 21, 2015). "10 Worst Movies of 2015". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  132. ^ Hermanns, Grant (March 30, 2022). "Why Fantastic Four 2015 Was So Bad, According to Writer". Screenrant. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  133. ^ Williamson, Samuel (May 17, 2024). "How Josh Trank's 2015 'Fantastic Four' Became a Legendary Marvel Failure". Collider. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  134. ^ "BET Awards: The Complete Winners List". Billboard. June 27, 2016. Archived from the original on June 27, 2016. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  135. ^ "CAST OF "FANTASTIC FOUR" TO RECEIVE "CINEMACON® ENSEMBLE AWARD"". CinemaCon. Archived from the original on April 22, 2015. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  136. ^ CS (February 27, 2016). "Razzie Awards 2016 Winners Announced". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on October 30, 2019. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  137. ^ "Golden Schmoes Winners and Nominees (2015)". JoBlo.com. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
  138. ^ "Houston Film Critics Society Nominations". AwardsDaily. December 14, 2015. Archived from the original on April 20, 2016. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  139. ^ Dansby, Andrew (January 10, 2016). "Houston Film Critics award "Spotlight," "Revenant"". Chron. Hearst Newspapers, LLC. Archived from the original on April 11, 2016. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  140. ^ "2015 StLFCA Annual Award Winners". St. Louis Film Critics Association. Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  141. ^ Vulpo, Mike (May 24, 2016). "Teen Choice Awards 2016 Nominations Announced: See the "First Wave" of Potential Winners". E!. Archived from the original on May 26, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  142. ^ "Fantastic Four (Blu-ray + Digital HD) (Widescreen)". Walmart.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  143. ^ "Fantastic 4 4K Blu-ray Release Date February 14, 2016". Archived from the original on September 1, 2019. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  144. ^ "2015's 'Fantastic Four' Is Now on Disney+ Because Sure, Why Not?". Decider. June 25, 2020. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  145. ^ "Fantastic Four (2015) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Archived from the original on December 29, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  146. ^ Miller, Jenni (March 21, 2014). "The 2015 'Fantastic Four' Reboot Will Get a Sequel in 2017". Moviefone. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  147. ^ Sneider, Jeff (January 5, 2015). "Channing Tatum's 'Gambit' Gets 2016 Release Date; 'Fantastic Four' Sequel Moves Up". TheWrap. Archived from the original on January 6, 2015. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  148. ^ Chitwood, Adam (March 12, 2015). "FANTASTIC FOUR 2 Fears the Force, Moves Back a Week to June 9, 2017". Collider. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  149. ^ Hoad, Phil (August 11, 2015). "Fantastic Four flop: the biggest superhero disaster since Catwoman". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 30, 2015. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  150. ^ Diaz, Eric (June 17, 2017). "Kevin Feige Confirms No MCU FANTASTIC FOUR. At Least "Right Now"". Nerdist. Archived from the original on September 21, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  151. ^ Comicbook, Joe (August 9, 2015). "When Can Marvel Get The Rights Back To The Fantastic Four?". Comicbook.com. Archived from the original on September 21, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  152. ^ Tennant, Tom (July 17, 2017). "Did The Fantastic Four Buy Avengers Tower In 'Spider-Man: Homecoming'?". Movie Pilot. Archived from the original on September 21, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  153. ^ a b Wickman, Kase (September 14, 2015). "'Fantastic Four' Boss Is 'Figuring Out' How To Make A Sequel Happen". MTV News. Archived from the original on September 15, 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  154. ^ McWeeny, Drew (August 10, 2015). "How are the new 'Fantastic Four' and 2013's 'Arrested Development' related?". UPROXX. Archived from the original on September 13, 2015. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  155. ^ Katzman, Gregg (September 6, 2015). "Fantastic Four 2: Tommy Wiseau Wants to Direct". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on April 17, 2017. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  156. ^ Perry, Spencer (November 24, 2015). "Fantastic Four Sequel Pulled from Calendar". SuperHeroHype. Archived from the original on June 3, 2022. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  157. ^ Lambie, Ryan (May 13, 2016). "Fantastic Four 2 Could Happen With Same Cast". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on May 14, 2016. Retrieved May 14, 2016.
  158. ^ Butler, Tom (May 27, 2016). "Toby Kebbell Has No Interest In Making a Fantastic Four Sequel". Yahoo! Movies. Archived from the original on June 30, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
  159. ^ Shirey, Paul (August 8, 2016). "Exclusive: Miles Teller talks more Fantastic Four & critical impact". JoBlo.com. Archived from the original on July 29, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  160. ^ "Kate Mara Is Game for Fantastic Four 2". IGN. August 24, 2016. Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
  161. ^ "Producer Simon Kinberg on Plans for a 'Fantastic Four' Sequel". Collider. February 24, 2017. Archived from the original on February 25, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  162. ^ Chichizola, Corey (September 19, 2017). "Why Matthew Vaughn Really Wants Another Crack At Making A Fantastic Four Movie". Cinema Blend. Archived from the original on September 20, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
  163. ^ O'Donnell, Sean (August 18, 2018). "Deadpool 2's Original Director Had Fantastic Four 2015 Cameos". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on August 18, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  164. ^ Libbey, Dirk (March 1, 2017). "One Fantastic Four Star Who Has No Interest In Doing A Sequel". HeyUGuys. Cinema Blend. Archived from the original on March 1, 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  165. ^ Onder, Cade (May 21, 2017). "Stan Lee wants the Fantastic Four and X-Men film rights to be back at Marvel". Disqus. Gamezone. Archived from the original on May 27, 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  166. ^ Marston, George (June 13, 2017). "No FANTASTIC FOUR In MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE Says KEVIN FEIGE". Newsrama. Archived from the original on June 14, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  167. ^ "The Walt Disney Company To Acquire Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc., After Spinoff Of Certain Businesses, For $52.4 Billion In Stock" (Press release). The Walt Disney Company. December 14, 2017. Archived from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  168. ^ Weiss, Josh (March 20, 2019). "It's official: Disney now owns Fox (and X-Men, and Avatar, and way more)". Syfy Wire. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  169. ^ "Comic-Con: Fantastic Four Confirmed For the MCU!". ComingSoon.net. July 20, 2019. Archived from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  170. ^ "New 'Fantastic Four' Movie in Development at Marvel". Variety. July 20, 2019. Archived from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  171. ^ Woerner, Meredith; Jackson, Angelique. "Marvel Won't Recast Black Panther; Plots 'Fantastic Four' Reboot; Casts Christian Bale in 'Thor 4'". Variety. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  172. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (April 29, 2022). "'Spider-Man' Director Jon Watts Exits Marvel's 'Fantastic Four'". Deadline. Archived from the original on July 20, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  173. ^ Ellis, Philip (February 16, 2020). "John Krasinski Would Very Much Like to Be Part of the MCU's Fantastic Four". Men's Health. Archived from the original on February 16, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  174. ^ Garbutt, Emily (May 5, 2022). "The Illuminati members in Doctor Strange 2, listed and explained". Total Film. GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  175. ^ White, James. "Fantastic Four: Kevin Feige Confirms Matt Shakman As Director". Empire. Archived from the original on August 1, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  176. ^ Jackson, Angelique (August 26, 2022). "'WandaVision' Helmer Matt Shakman in Talks to Direct Marvel's 'Fantastic Four,' Exits Paramount's 'Star Trek' Sequel". Variety. Archived from the original on August 1, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  177. ^ Kroll, Justin (September 21, 2022). "HOME FILM SCREENWRITING 'Fantastic Four': Jeff Kaplan & Ian Springer To Write New Film For Marvel Studios". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 21, 2022. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
  178. ^ Kit, Borys (March 31, 2023). "'Fantastic Four' Movie Gets New Writer With 'Avatar 2' Scribe Josh Friedman (Exclusive)". The Holylwood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  179. ^ Kit, Borys (July 27, 2022). "With Next Phases Set, Marvel Homes in on Directors". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 28, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  180. ^ Oganesyan, Natalie (February 7, 2023). "Marvel's 'Fantastic Four' Starts Filming in Early 2024, Director Matt Shakman Says". The Wrap. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  181. ^ Milheim, Russ (May 17, 2022). "Fantastic Four Actor Miles Teller Would Return to Marvel Under These Conditions". The Direct. Archived from the original on May 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
edit