The 2015 reboot of the Fantastic Four was a box office disaster, plagued by a terrible script, odd casting, and studio meddling. Director Josh Trank faced interference, leading to budget cuts, bad CGI, and a messy production. Marvel is now rebooting the iconic characters, hoping to do justice to the characters in the MCU.
The 2015 movie promised a darker and more grounded portrayal of the classic Marvel characters, but things didn’t turn out that way. The cast included Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, and Michael B. Jordan, but their ages and personas didn’t quite fit the characters. Teller was too young and cool for Reed Richards, Mara’s persona was too subdued for Sue Storm, and Bell lacked the age and loudmouth nature needed for Ben Grimm. Michael B. Jordan’s Human Torch was one of the few solid choices.
Studios’ interference made production a nightmare. Budget cuts resulted in atrocious CGI, and changes to the storyline were made during filming. The final edit was taken away from Trank, who had a difficult time on set. The movie’s mediocre box office performance cemented its disappointing outcome.
Josh Trank’s 2015 ‘Fantastic Four’ (Via IMDB)
Director Josh Trank has mixed feelings about the project. In a now-deleted tweet, he said that he had a “fantastic version” of the movie but never got to show it. Trank praised the cast but wondered if the final product was what they initially hoped for. The movie grossed only $167 million on a reported $120 million budget, making its sequel plans get scrapped.
The 2025 reboot of the Fantastic Four promises a fresh start, with Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach bringing the heroes to the MCU. The new cast includes Natasha Lyonne, Julia Garner, John Malkovich, Paul Walter Hauser, and Ralph Ineson as Galactus.
