The Fantastic Four franchise continues to be one of the most loved superhero franchises in Marvel Comics. The band of heroes, which even got its live-action release featuring Chris Evans, Jessica Alba, Ioan Griffield, and Michael Chiklis, continues to be loved by fans of all ages. And rumors are rife that we are set to witness their grand return to the big screen. John Krasinski’s inclusion in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness further stoked these rumors. But their inclusion needs to be handled delicately. One wrong step can damage the equation. The makers of Marvel will be wise to learn from previous experiences.
The troubled history of the Fantastic Four franchise
This is not the Fantastic Four‘s first rodeo. The superhero group got its first iteration all the way back in 2005, with the release of Tim Story’s Fantastic Four. The movie might not have enjoyed the mammoth success that the movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe did, but it was still renewed for a sequel.
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer flattered to deceive. The film’s initial run gave the people in charge hope that it would fare better than its predecessors. But it was not meant to be, as the movie recorded a steep drop-off in the later stages.
Why a Fantastic Four 3 was stopped in its tracks?
Faith wasn’t lost yet. The makers of the Fantastic Four franchise seemed optimistic about its prospects. The project seemed like it would progress smoothly. Voices suggesting that a third movie would be on the way seemed to gain traction.
Sadly, the project would not reach its fruition. The diminishing returns to the 2007 sequel, coupled with the release (and success) of the RDJ-starring Iron Man, sounded the death knell for the franchise as we knew it.
Chris Evans still had hope
The movie’s cancellation left people shocked, though, with its cast leading this queue. Chris Evans, who would later strike gold with the role of Steve Rogers, believed that his role as the Human Torch would not come to an end with the Doug Jones-starrer sequel.
He said,
“After the first (Fantastic Four) was released we got wind of potential titles and plots [almost immediately], and I’ve heard nothing from anyone at Fox … We had all planned on doing (Fantastic Four 3) but if there were going to be a third I think a week after the second one was released we would have heard.”
It was sadly not meant to be.
Source: Looper
