A Fantastic Four movie was released in 2005, with Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer following two years later. In 2015, the franchise was rebooted to disastrous results, and next year will see the release of The Fantastic Four from Marvel Studios.
However, Marvel's First Family very nearly made their big screen debut back in 1994.
It's previously been reported that the movie only happened because producer Bernd Eichinger hoped to retain the team's rights. With a mere $1 million budget, it was not a good quality production and, based on comments from various insiders (and even Stan Lee), it was never actually meant to see the light of day.
The cast tried and failed to drum up interest in Fantastic Four at their own expense and Eichinger eventually informed director Oley Sassone that his movie wasn't going to be released.
Eichinger has denied that he only made the movie on the cheap to keep hold of those lucrative rights, but it ended up being shelved until Avi Arad learned of its existence. Concerned it would one day see the light of day and harm Marvel Entertainment's all-important toy sales, he purchased the rights and destroyed it...only for copies to circulate online in the years that followed.
Many Marvel fans would love to see Fantastic Four get an official release and Doctor Doom actor Joseph Culp recently called for that while commenting on a video exploring the movie's creation.
"This is awesome. Thank you so much for making this wonderful exposé on the first Fantastic Four," he said. "Your views are spot on and are deeply appreciated. On the 30th anniversary the truth must be told and the film released. Here's to the future my friend. Yours, Doctor Doom."
The cast of the cancelled Fantastic Four movie also included Alex Hyde-White as Reed Richards, Rebecca Staab as Sue Storm, Jay Underwood as Johnny Storm, and Michael Bailey Smith as Ben Grimm.
The Fantastic Four, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, debuted in 1961. The team is comprised of Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), Susan Storm (Invisible Woman), Johnny Storm (Human Torch), and Ben Grimm (The Thing). They gained superpowers during a space mission, becoming Marvel's first family of superheroes.
Director Matt Shakman has worked with Avatar: The Way of Water co-writer Josh Friedman, WandaVision's Cam Squires, and MCU vet Eric Pearson on the latest draft of The Fantastic Four's screenplay. The movie is now scheduled to be released in theaters on July 25, 2025.