While such Marvel comic book heroes as Spider-Man and Iron Man have gone from strength to strength on the big screen, the same cannot be said of the Fantastic Four. When looking at the best Marvel movies outside of the MCU, you won't see Marvel's so-called 'first family' on any ranking lists. Their movies (to quote the Human Torch) haven't so much as 'flamed on,' but rather 'flamed out,' which is quite surprising considering the success of certain other Marvel franchises.

The first Fantastic Four movie, made in 1994, was rushed into production and was never officially released. The most recent Fantastic Four movie (made in 2015) did get a release, but fans are probably wishing it didn't as it was something of a stinker! Fans wanted a director's cut of the failed movie but this wasn't something the director was interested in considering.

In between these failed efforts were two other Fantastic Four movies, both directed by Tim Story, and both released by 20th Century Fox. The cast, including Chris Evans and Jessica Alba, was signed up to make a third movie in what could have been a franchise, but this never came to pass. Why? Let's take a closer look.

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The Less Than Fantastic Adventures Of The Fantastic Four

2005 Movie Image
Via: The Guardian

Back in the early 2000s, several Marvel properties were brought to the screen. While some, Spider-Man and X-Men among them, were critically well-received, there were others that weren't. These included the disappointments that were Hulk and Daredevil.

When the Fantastic Four movie was announced, there was initially some excitement. After all, X-Men proved a superhero ensemble movie could work, so it was assumed that the Fantastic Four movie could do equally as well too.

The movie was released in 2005, but unfortunately, critics weren't kind. According to Olly Richards at Empire, the movie was a 'fantastic bore,' and fans of the foursome probably agreed. One of the movie's biggest problems was its lack of action, as the team of heroes spent less time fighting crime and more time fighting with one another. Whenever they did burst into action, poor editing laid waste to what should have been spectacular set-pieces.

Still, it did make $333.5 million at the US box office so the planned sequel was given the go-ahead.

2007's Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer was a better movie than its predecessor. This isn't to say it was a classic of the superhero genre, but critics were a little kinder than they were before. There was more action this time around, better special effects, and with the inclusion of the Silver Surfer, a more interesting story. Surely a third movie should have been a no-brainer then, right? Wrong!

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Why Plans For A Third Fantastic Four Movie Fizzled Out

Fantastic Four Ensemble
Via: Cinelinx

According to an article at Film Stories, director Tim Story had plans for not one but two follow-up movies. He wanted to bring the Black Panther into the mix, years before the character was so wonderfully brought to life by the much-missed Chadwick Boesman. Screenwriter Don Payne, co-writer of the second Fantastic Four movie, also had ideas for any follow-up movies. He wanted to include the 'Inhumans' and the 'Skrulls' in future stories featuring the Fantastic Four.

Unfortunately, all ideas for a third (and possibly a fourth) Fantastic Four movie were canceled out. According to Film Stories, there are two reasons why the sequel wasn't greenlit.

The first comes down to money. While reviews for the first sequel were positive, they weren't overwhelmingly so, and it was clear from the worldwide box office that audience interest in the budding franchise had diminished. The sequel made less than the original movie, which was bad news for the studio because the budget had ballooned because of the special effects work needed for the Silver Surfer. A third movie would have been a financial risk, and as with many other canceled movie projects, this is one reason why the studio decided against the sequel.

The success of Iron Man is the second reason why a third Fantastic Four movie was canceled. Fox's movies looked dated in comparison and were far removed in quality from both Iron Man and The Dark Knight which were released the year after Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer. The superhero landscape was changing, and for Fox, the Fantastic Four (in their current iteration) no longer seemed viable. Instead, they went back to the drawing board and brought into being the 2015 reboot that, despite the studio's best intentions, was also considered a franchise-killer.

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Fantastic News!

While the cancellation of Fantastic Four 3 was a disappointment for the movie-making team behind that short-lived franchise, fans will no doubt be glad that their favorite foursome will finally be given the opportunity to be fantastic!

The superhero ensemble is now in the safe hands of Marvel Studios, and there are plans to bring them back to the screen. Jon Watts, the director of the recent Spider-Man movies is at the helm, so there is reason to be excited about the upcoming movie. It certainly won't be any worse than those that have preceded it, and chances are, it could be the movie that finally allows the Fantastic Four to live up to their cinematic potential. Here's hoping anyway!

NEXT: 10 Reasons To Get Excited About The MCU Again In 2021