Ranking All of The Live-Action 'Fantastic Four' Films!

A new Fantastic Four film has just hit theaters, making this the fourth attempt at adapting Marvel’s first family in live-action. We wanted to take a look back at all these fantastic films, Roger Corman’s unreleased version in 1994, the two Tim Story films in ‘05 and ‘07, Josh Trank’s 2015 dark and gritty reboot, and now Matt Shakman’s inspired ‘60s futurism. 

5. Fant4stic (2015, dir. Josh Trank)

It feels like kicking a dead horse at this point, but overall this movie is just very boring. Fant4stic is given the Batman Begins and The Amazing Spider-Man treatment by being a darker, more realistic take on these characters. Taking a body horror direction with the Fantastic Four is great, though, and those elements are easily the standout moments in this movie. The first-half is a really good setup for what was originally supposed to be in this movie; however, after the moment they receive their powers, all of that promise vanishes. The cast -- including Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, and Jamie Bell -- are great choices for these characters , but the film never fully utilizes them to their full potential. The only time they are all in the same room is the third act, which, at that point, there is no time to build any dynamics. If only Josh Trank was allowed to see his vision fulfilled with no studio interference, because then Fant4stic would be remembered as a unique take on the family instead of as the ugly duckling of Fantastic Four adaptations. (Stream on Disney+)

4. The Fantastic Four (1994, dir. Oley Sassone)

This is technically the Fantastic Four film that never was. It was filmed and edited but was never meant to be released to the world. The Fantastic Four, (which was executive produced by the legendary Roger Corman) feels directly lifted from the '60s comics, for better or worse. The script is a bit rocky with some bright moments here and there. The cast is good and they all feel like the characters at that point in time... again, for better or worse. It has the best adaptation of Doctor Doom we’ve seen since it’s the only one that acknowledges him as a ruler of Latveria as well as his past relationship with Reed Richards. There’s not much there other than what is on the surface, but that’s often how comics of the early era were and how comic book adaptations were treated before the 2000s (bar a few exceptions). If this was allowed to be finished and officially released, it would've probably been on par with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret Of The Ooze. If you want to check it out, a bootleg version is on YouTube. Also, if you want to know more about the story behind the film, there’s a great documentary called Doomed: The Untold Story of Roger Corman's the Fantastic Four, which is available on Prime Video, Tubi, and Youtube. 

3. Fantastic Four (2005, dir. Tim Story)

Personally, this will forever be a classic of the superhero genre. Having a director whose main background is in comedy was a perfect choice for these movies. It gives them a 2000s comedy vibe like Meet The Fockers while mixing in some of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. This film has a lot of small character moments where they really get to shine or show off their powers. Getting to see Johnny (Chris Evans) and Ben (Michael Chiklis) constantly beef, whether over the uniforms, the name-calling, or the toys, adds a dynamic that audiences want to see more of and develop. Rebuilding Reed (Ioan Gruffudd) and Sue’s (Jessica Alba) relationship over a stretch of time (no pun intended) makes you want to see them succeed even more when Reed proposes at the end. Gags like Ben accidently eating the fork, or Ben breaking the cups, or Johnny popping the popcorn, or Reed using his powers to grab the toilet paper, add a sense of realism. There’s a romanticism of superheroes in this era that made children obsessed with these movies at the time. (Stream on Disney+)

2. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007, dir. Tim Story)

This is the film that, if you were a kid in this era, you probably remember the most. It has the awesome sequence of Human Torch chasing the Silver Surfer, The Thing and Johnny switching powers and Chris Evans turning into rocks, Reed using his stretching ability on the dance floor, Johnny collecting all the Fantastic Four’s powers to beat up Doctor Doom on the Silver Surfer’s board, and it has the cloud Galactus, which is not bad and people need to stop pretending it is. While both films are good, this one beats the first one because it’s embracing more of the Fantastic Four’s lore instead of copying Spider-Man (2002). Give this film a revisit, hopefully you find something new you love about it. (Stream on Disney+)

1. The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025, dir. Matt Shakman)

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the most recent reboot of the characters, this time taking a 1960s retrofuturism approach to the first family and their world. The '60s aesthetic follows a trend we've seen in a lot of sci-fi/fantasy projects of late, like "Loki", "Fallout", and The Electric State, to name a few, but "cleaner". The space exploration aspect was incredible and felt very reminiscent of Interstellar and Prometheus while being wholly itself. The cosmic horror of Galactus and the Silver Surfer, played by Ralph Ineson and Julia Garner, respectively, was so well done. The cast is incredible. Pedro Pascal as Reed is one of the most nuanced versions of the character we have seen in live-action. Vanessa Kirby really embodies Sue’s maternal love and how she is the true heart and soul of the team. Joseph Quinn burns bright as Johnny and is close to being the best adaptation of the character, displaying his intellect while still being eager and a ladies man. Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing is one of the best castings in the MCU. He perfectly encapsulates the humor and heart of the ever-lovin' blue-eyed Thing, as well as his Jewish roots. The only critique we have is that there needs to be 20 more minutes added to the film, as it feels a bit short. This film was clearly made with a deep love and admiration for the characters, you can feel it in every frame, which makes it easily the best adaptation of the Fantastic Four and their world. (In theatres now)