The superhero team Fantastic Four, featured in Marvel Comics publications, has appeared in five live-action films since its inception. The plots deal with four main characters, known formally as Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Ben Grimm, and Johnny Storm, and how they adapt to the superpowers they attain.
Constantin Film bought the film rights for the characters in 1986. A low-budget film was produced in 1992 by New Horizon Studios, owned by Roger Corman, though it has never been officially released. In 2004, after Constantin sub-licensed the film rights to 20th Century Fox, a second Fantastic Four film entered production. Fantastic Four was released in 2005 and the sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer was released in 2007. Both films were ill-received by critics, yet earned a combined worldwide at the box office. Due to Fox's disappointment with the box-office returns of Rise of the Silver Surfer, a potential third film and a Silver Surfer spin-off film were canceled.
A reboot of the series, Fantastic Four, directed by Josh Trank, was released in 2015 and received largely negative reviews from both critics and audiences, and was a box-office bomb. Trank himself disowned the final product, claiming studio interference from Fox. A sequel was scheduled to be released in 2017, but was canceled.
In March 2019, Marvel Studios regained the film rights to the Fantastic Four and their associated characters, after the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney. The Fantastic Four: First Steps, part of Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), was released in 2025 and became the most positively reviewed film in the series.
After the acquisition, the Fox-produced Fantastic Four films were rebranded as "Marvel Legacy" films on Disney+ alongside other non-MCU Marvel films. They were then retitled "Fantastic Adventures" in July 2023, alongside two Fantastic Four animated series.
The Fantastic Four (1994, unreleased)
The plot follows four astronauts on an experimental spacecraft who are bombarded with a comet's cosmic rays, whereby they acquire extraordinary abilities.
Bernd Eichinger of Constantin Film acquired the film rights of the Fantastic Four from Marvel Comics in 1986. To maintain the rights, Eichinger hired Roger Corman in 1992 to produce a low-budget film. The 1994 adaptation The Fantastic Four had its trailer released to theaters, while the cast and director went on a promotional tour; however, the film was never officially released. Some accused the film of being a ashcan copy, made only to retain the license. Stan Lee and Eichinger stated that the actors had no idea of the situation, instead believing they were creating a proper release. Marvel Comics paid in exchange for the film's negative, so 20th Century Fox could go ahead with the big-budget adaptation. While released neither to theaters nor home video, bootleg copies did surface, and as of 2025, the film is available to watch on YouTube and Dailymotion for free.
Tim Story films (2005–2007)
Fantastic Four (2005)
The story features Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Susan Storm, Johnny Storm, and Victor Von Doom getting hit by a space storm after boarding a space station. As a result of the radiation from the storm, they gain new abilities and powers that they have to deal with in their own ways.
Chris Columbus was hired by 20th Century Fox to write and direct the film in 1995. In 1997, Peter Segal was attached to a script which had been written by Columbus and Michael France. Segal later left the project in the same year. Phillip Morton worked on the script, and Sam Hamm did rewrites in 1998. The following year, Raja Gosnell signed on as director. The film was announced in August 2000 as being aimed for a July 4, 2001, release date. Gosnell decided to leave the project to film Scooby-Doo. Peyton Reed served as a replacement in April 2001. Reed contemplated making the film as a period piece set in the early 1960s during the space race. He later dropped out from the film. In April 2004, Tim Story was hired to direct, and principal photography began in August in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with re-shoots carried on until May 2005. Starring Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis and Julian McMahon, the film was released on July 8, 2005.
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
The story, both inspired by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's Fantastic Four comic-book storyline "The Galactus Trilogy" and Warren Ellis's comic-book Ultimate Extinction, features the Silver Surfer, whose cosmic energy has been affecting the planet Earth and leaving craters around the planet. Set against an impending wedding between Reed and Susan, the U.S. Army recruits the Fantastic Four to help stop the Silver Surfer, and separately gain help from Doom.
With Fantastic Four grossing $333.5 million worldwide, 20th Century Fox hired director Tim Story and screenwriter Mark Frost in December 2005 to return to work on the sequel. Don Payne was also hired to write the screenplay. Principal photography began on August 28, 2006, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The film was released on June 15, 2007.
Due to 20th Century Fox's disappointment in the box-office performance of the film, a potential third Fantastic Four film and a Silver Surfer spin-off film were canceled.
Fantastic Four (2015)
The story, loosely based on the Ultimate Fantastic Four comic books, features four people teleporting to an alternate universe, which alters their physical form and grants them new abilities. They must learn to harness their abilities and work together as a team to save the Earth from a familiar enemy.
In August 2009, development for a reboot of the Fantastic Four film franchise was announced by 20th Century Fox. In July 2012, Josh Trank was hired to direct. Michael Green, Jeremy Slater, Seth Grahame-Smith and Simon Kinberg were hired to write the screenplay with Slater and Kinberg receiving credit. Casting began in January 2014 with the announcement of the cast occurred in the following months. Principal photography began in May 2014 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and ended in August the same year. Starring Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell and Toby Kebbell, the film was released on August 7, 2015. The film received largely negative reviews, was a box-office bomb, and is often considered one of the worst superhero films ever made. A sequel was originally planned for 2017, but was removed from the studio's schedule in November 2015. This was also the last Fantastic Four film produced by Fox before the company was acquired by Disney in 2019, allowing Marvel Studios to regain the rights to the Fantastic Four characters.
Marvel Cinematic Universe (2022–present)
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
An alternate version of Reed Richards appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), played by actor John Krasinski, a popular fancasting choice for the character. This version of the character, originating from Earth-838, is both a founding member of his reality's Fantastic Four team, as well as a council member on the Illuminati alongside other superpowered individuals, who observe and apprehend potential threats to the wider Multiverse. He is initially present at the trial of the displaced Stephen Strange from Earth-616 (Benedict Cumberbatch), whom he warns for potentially causing an incursion as his reality's Strange did. However, before he and his colleagues could decide on Strange's consequences, they would be confronted by the corrupted Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch from 616-Strange's reality, who possessed a body of her own variant to infiltrate their headquarters. In spite of Richards' attempts to reason with Wanda without resorting to physical conflict, he is killed alongside most of his associates via shredding after Wanda coldly muses that someone will be alive to raise his children. Additionally, the Earth-838 Christine Palmer is mentioned to be a member of the Baxter Foundation as a Multiverse analyst and researcher.
Before the film's release, Disney and Marvel Studios had attempted to retain secrecy surrounding both the inclusion of Mister Fantastic and Krasinski's involvement in the film. However, his appearance in the film alongside the other then-unrevealed Illuminati members would be leaked just before the film's wide release on May 6, 2022, through the circulation of footage and pictures depicting his character.
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
Chris Evans reprises his role as the incarnation of Johnny Storm from the Tim Story films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Deadpool & Wolverine (2024). He was sent to the Void by the Time Variance Authority and became part of a Resistance group against Cassandra Nova. In the movie, a mysterious figure comes across Deadpool and Wolverine when the two are fighting each other in the Void. He was anticipated by Deadpool to be Steve Rogers (whom Evans portrayed in the MCU), only to reveal himself as Johnny Storm. After a brief stand-off with Pyro, Johnny is captured alongside Deadpool and Wolverine. Upon their arrival at Cassandra Nova's lair, Deadpool repeats Johnny's supposed insults towards Nova. When Johnny protests these claims, Cassandra swiftly kills Johnny by removing his skin and muscles, with his body falling apart nearly instantly. Throughout the film, Wolverine holds Johnny's death over Deadpool's head, but in the film's post-credits scene, Wade shows footage proving Johnny's insults true.
Additionally, the Fantasti-Car appears, ridden by Toad, and Reed Richards is mentioned by Johnny, who says Richards had been studying the multiverse learning about the Void.
Thunderbolts* (2025)
In a post-credit scene, the New Avengers receive a distress signal from the Fantastic Four's spaceship as it enters Earth-616 from an alternate reality, Earth-828.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)
Disney's CEO Bob Iger stated that they plan to integrate the Fantastic Four into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) after purchasing Fox Studios in a $71.3 billion deal, officially completed in March 2019. At the 2019 Marvel Studios San Diego Comic-Con presentation, Kevin Feige announced a Fantastic Four film set in the MCU. By December 2020, Jon Watts, who previously helmed the Spider-Man films set in the MCU, was attached to direct. In April 2022, Watts stepped down as director to take a break from directing superhero films. Later in July, Feige revealed that the reboot would not have an origin story. In August, Matt Shakman was in early talks to direct the film, which was confirmed in September during the Disney event D23. The same month, Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer were hired as writers for the film. By March 2023, Josh Friedman was hired to rewrite the script. In February 2024, it was announced that the film would star Pedro Pascal as Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the Thing. In April 2024, it was announced that Julia Garner would portray Shalla-Bal / Silver Surfer. In May 2024, Ralph Ineson was announced to play Galactus. By then, John Malkovich, Paul Walter Hauser, and Natasha Lyonne were added to the cast. In late June, Feige confirmed that the film would be set in a 1960s-inspired retro-futuristic alternate reality rather than the main MCU continuity. Principal photography began in London in late July 2024 and wrapped in November 2024.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps was released in the United States on July 25, 2025, as part of Phase Six of the MCU.
During Marvel's Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con in 2024, Michael Giacchino was announced to be composing the score for the film.
Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027)