Fantastic Four in film — BrandWiki

Fantastic Four in film — BrandWiki

Tim Story films (2005–2007)

Fantastic Four (2005)

The story features Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Susan Storm, Johnny Storm, and Victor Von Doom getting hit by a space storm after boarding a space station. As a result of the radiation from the storm, they gain new abilities and powers that they have to deal with in their own ways.

Chris Columbus was hired by 20th Century Fox to write and direct the film in 1995. In 1997, Peter Segal was attached to a script which had been written by Columbus and Michael France. Segal later left the project in the same year. Phillip Morton worked on the script, and Sam Hamm did rewrites in 1998. The following year, Raja Gosnell signed on as director. The film was announced in August 2000 as being aimed for a July 4, 2001, release date. Gosnell decided to leave the project to film Scooby-Doo. Peyton Reed served as a replacement in April 2001.[5] Reed contemplated making the film as a period piece set in the early 1960s during the space race.[6] He later dropped out from the film. In April 2004, Tim Story was hired to direct, and principal photography began in August in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with re-shoots carried on until May 2005.[7][8] Starring Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis and Julian McMahon, the film was released on July 8, 2005.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

The story, both inspired by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's Fantastic Four comic-book storyline "The Galactus Trilogy" and Warren Ellis's comic-book Ultimate Extinction, features the Silver Surfer, whose cosmic energy has been affecting the planet Earth and leaving craters around the planet. Set against an impending wedding between Reed and Susan, the U.S. Army recruits the Fantastic Four to help stop the Silver Surfer, and separately gain help from Doom.[9]

With Fantastic Four grossing $333.5 million worldwide, 20th Century Fox hired director Tim Story and screenwriter Mark Frost in December 2005 to return to work on the sequel.[10] Don Payne was also hired to write the screenplay.[11] Principal photography began on August 28, 2006, in Vancouver, British Columbia

Marvel Cinematic Universe (2022–present)

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

An alternate version of Reed Richards appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), played by actor John Krasinski, a popular fancasting choice for the character. This version of the character, originating from Earth-838, is both a founding member of his reality's Fantastic Four team, as well as a council member on the Illuminati alongside other superpowered individuals, who observe and apprehend potential threats to the wider Multiverse. He is initially present at the trial of the displaced Stephen Strange from Earth-616 (Benedict Cumberbatch), whom he warns for potentially causing an incursion as his reality's Strange did. However, before he and his colleagues could decide on Strange's consequences, they would be confronted by the corrupted Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch from 616-Strange's reality, who possessed a body of her own variant to infiltrate their headquarters. In spite of Richards' attempts to reason with Wanda without resorting to physical conflict, he is killed alongside most of his associates via shredding after Wanda coldly muses that someone will be alive to raise his children.[30][31] Additionally, the Earth-838 Christine Palmer is mentioned to be a member of the Baxter Foundation as a Multiverse analyst and researcher.

Before the film's release, Disney and Marvel Studios had attempted to retain secrecy surrounding both the inclusion of Mister Fantastic and Krasinski's involvement in the film. However, his appearance in the film alongside the other then-unrevealed Illuminati members would be leaked just before the film's wide release on May 6, 2022, through the circulation of footage and pictures depicting his character.[32]

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

Chris Evans reprises his role as the incarnation of Johnny Storm from the Tim Story films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Deadpool & Wolverine (2024). He was sent to the Void by the Time Variance Authority and became part of a Resistance group against Cassandra Nova. In the movie, a mysterious figure comes across Deadpool and Wolverine when the two are fighting each other in the Void. He was anticipated by Deadpool to be Steve Rogers (whom Evans portrayed in the MCU), only to reveal himself as Johnny Storm. After a brief stand-off with Pyro, Johnny is captured alongside Deadpool and Wolverine. Upon their arrival at Cassandra Nova's lair, Deadpool repeats Johnny's supposed insults towards Nova. When Johnny protests these claims, Cassandra swiftly kills Johnny by removing his skin and muscles, with his body falling apart nearly instantly. Throughout the film, Wolverine holds Johnny's death over Deadpool's head, but in the film's post-credits scene, Wade shows footage proving Johnny's insults true.

Additionally, the Fantasti-Car appears, ridden by Toad, and Reed Richards is mentioned by Johnny, who says Richards had been studying the multiverse learning about the Void.

Thunderbolts* (2025)

In a post-credit scene, the New Avengers receive a distress signal from the Fantastic Four's spaceship as it enters Earth-616 from an alternate reality, Earth-828.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

Disney's CEO Bob Iger stated that they plan to integrate the Fantastic Four into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)[33] after purchasing Fox Studios in a $71.3 billion deal, officially completed in March 2019.[34] At the 2019 Marvel Studios San Diego Comic-Con presentation, Kevin Feige announced a Fantastic Four film set in the MCU.[35][36] By December 2020, Jon Watts, who previously helmed the Spider-Man films set in the MCU, was attached to direct.[37]

Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027)

At San Diego Comic-Con in July 2024, Pascal, Kirby, Quinn, and Moss-Bachrach were confirmed to be reprising their roles in the films Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027), starring alongside Robert Downey Jr. (who previously portrayed Tony Stark / Iron Man in the MCU) as Doctor Doom. Downey reprises his role as Doom from the mid-credits scene of First Steps.

Cancelled films

Fantastic Four 3

A third installment of the 2005 Fantastic Four series was stated to be under consideration.[13] In May 2007, before the release of The Rise of the Silver Surfer, Tim Story, who directed the first two installments, expressed his interest in casting Djimon Hounsou as Black Panther.[89] A month later, he stated he had wanted to feature the Puppet Master as a villain.[90] By August 2009, a potential third Fantastic Four film was cancelled.[91]

Doctor Doom

At the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con, Noah Hawley said that he was developing a film centered on Doctor Doom.[92] Dan Stevens was also said to be involved with the film.[93] In June 2018, Hawley said that the script was almost finished, but that there was "a little uncertainty" about whether it would be filmed due to his upcoming film Pale Blue Dot and the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney.[94] In 2019, Hawley revealed that he was still unsure about whether he would be continuing the project, as it had not been officially greenlit, but that he had spoken to Kevin Feige about it.[95] That August, Hawley told Deadline that the movie "is done", implying that he was no longer working on it.[96]

Silver Surfer

In 2007, after the release of Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, 20th Century Fox hired J. Michael Straczynski to write the screenplay for the Silver Surfer spin-off film. Straczynski said his script was a sequel, but also delved into the Silver Surfer's origins. It was later canceled after Fox decided to reboot the Fantastic Four film series.[97][98]

In February 2018, a Silver Surfer film was in development with Brian K. Vaughan attached to the script.[99]

Untitled sequel to 2015's Fantastic Four

Before 2015's Fantastic Four began filming, 20th Century Fox announced plans for a sequel with a scheduled release date of July 14, 2017.[100] 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.[101] It changed the release date again to June 9, 2017, to be two weeks after Star Wars: The Last Jedi initial scheduled release date of May 26, 2017.[102] Due to Fantastic Four poor box office performance of and negative reviews, Pamela McClintock of The Hollywood Reporter said that it "throws into question whether Fox will move ahead with a sequel". In November 2015, the sequel was removed from Fox's release schedule.[103] When asked by Collider whether they would make another Fantastic Four film, Kinberg stated: "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".[104]