20 years ago, Marvel’s first family finally made their way to the big screen. Released by 20th Century Fox, 2005’s “Fantastic Four” was directed by Tim Story and starred Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis as the titular superhero team. The film was the first mainstream cinematic version of the characters, although some might argue that a similar, if not superior, iteration arrived a year before this with Pixar’s “The Incredibles.”
Despite mixed to negative reviews, “Fantastic Four” was profitable enough for 20th Century Studios to greenlight a sequel. Once again directed by Story, 2007’s “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” featured the same protagonists as its predecessor, including the Four’s nemesis Doctor Doom (Julian McMahon), as well as the notable addition of the Silver Surfer (voiced by Laurence Fishburne and physically performed by Doug Jones). And once again, the film failed to wow the critics, thus earning less at the box office. As a result, a third film was scrapped in favor of an ill-fated reboot directed by Josh Trank and released in 2015. Now, one of the original stars of the Story films has spoken out, arguing that the films deserve more credit than they’ve been given.
Michael Chiklis thinks Tim Story’s Fantastic Four films were unfairly criticized
While Tim Story’s “Fantastic Four” films were not well-received by critics at the time of their release, Michael Chiklis’ portrayal of Ben Grimm/The Thing was one of the few elements that received praise. Whether it was the actor’s down-to-earth performance or the practical effects used to bring the tragic but beloved hero to life, Chiklis left an undeniable mark on the character (delivering what is arguably still the best iteration we’ve yet seen on film).
Although Chiklis had yet to watch “Fantastic Four: First Steps” – which brought the Four into the Marvel Cinematic Universe – before his recent interview with Collider, he told the outlet that he was a fan of the man behind the film version of The Thing, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, calling him a “terrific actor.” He also reflected on Story’s “Fantastic Four” films, sharing that he believes that, to this day, critics have given them unfair criticism:
“There were a lot of people, I think, who got it wrong. They really maligned our films, and they were very underrated given… that they were very beloved by audiences. It was one of those cases where the reviews weren’t great for those films, but the audiences were, and that still remains. I always kind of quietly said, okay, say what you want to say, but people see it. And now all these years later, people recognize sort of, hey, these movies are fun, family movies…they have a lot of reason. They may be imperfect, but they are very good films.”
Story’s Fantastic Four films were a crossroads with 2000s superhero films
Tim Story’s “Fantastic Four” films came out around the time the superhero boom was about to reach the stratosphere. As for other Marvel projects of this era, “X-Men” and “Spider-Man” were by far the most successful film adaptations, while 2003’s “Daredevil” and Story’s “Fantastic Four” were not as well received and were often ridiculed by fans. It was something of last year’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” heavily muddled, with Chris Evans’ Johnny Storm/The Human Torch even dying a comical death at the hands of the film’s antagonist, Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin). Fortunately, other characters in the Fox-Marvel film, like Jennifer Garner’s Elektra Natchios, received a more narratively satisfying farewell.
Interestingly, Story’s “Fantastic Four” films were quickly overshadowed by other superhero films that would define the genre for the next decade. “Batman Begins” was released in 2005, the same year as Story’s “Fantastic Four,” and although both grossed more than $300 million at the worldwide box office, Christopher Nolan’s “Batman” reboot had a much bigger (and longer-lasting) cultural impact. As for “Rise of the Silver Surfer,” it was released the same summer as “Spider-Man 3,” a film that, despite its lukewarm reception, became the highest-grossing entry in Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” trilogy. Then, a year later, the duo of “Iron Man” and “The Dark Knight” laid the foundation for what superhero cinema became in the 2010s, leaving lesser efforts like Story’s “Fantastic Four” films mostly forgotten.
“Fantastic Four: First Steps” is now showing in theaters.
