Marvel’s the Fantastic Four has had a rocky journey on the big screen. Despite being one of the most iconic superhero teams in comic book history, their cinematic outings have been wildly inconsistent. From studio interference to bizarre tone shifts and inconsistent casting, the Fantastic Four have struggled to find their footing in film, until The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

What makes the Fantastic Four franchise so fascinating is the evolution (and regression) in tone, storytelling, and character chemistry over time. Some films leaned too far into camp, others into joyless grittiness, and one was never even released officially. Yet even amid the missteps, there’s always been potential.

With their most recent outing in the MCU timeline finally doing justice to the source material, it’s the perfect time to revisit and rank every Fantastic Four movie ever made. This list goes from worst to best and looks at what each installment got right – and where it flamed out.

5

Fant4stic (2015)

Directed By Josh Trank

2015’s Fant4stic attempted a grounded, realistic reboot of Marvel’s First Family – and failed spectacularly. While the intent was to modernize the origin story with a serious sci-fi tone, the execution was lifeless, joyless, and tonally mismatched. The film abandons the bright optimism and adventurous spirit of the comics in favor of body horror and grim character dynamics.

The talented cast (Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, and Jamie Bell) had a lot of potential. Unfortunately, their chemistry was undercut by a muddled script and extensive reshoots that visibly altered tone and plot midway through. Victor Von Doom, one of Marvel’s most iconic villains, was reduced to a bland and forgettable presence with inexplicable powers and motivations.

The movie’s pacing is another issue: it spends too long on setup and origin, only to rush through the climax in a few forgettable minutes. Even its action scenes lack spectacle or weight. While it had the ambition to be different from earlier, campier attempts, it went too far in the other direction.

Fant4stic drained all the fun and humanity out of the franchise. It is a cautionary tale of what happens when a comic book adaptation forgets the tone and heart that made the source beloved in the first place. While admirable, Fant4stic was way too dark and way too serious,

4

Fantastic Four (1994)

Directed By Oley Sᴀssone

Roger Corman’s Fantastic Four (1994) was never meant to be seen by audiences. It was made quickly and cheaply, primarily to retain the film rights. This is impossible to ignore.

The budget was infamously low, the effects often laughable, and the costumes straight out of a Halloween aisle. Yet, despite all that, there’s a charm to this unreleased oddity that makes it surprisingly entertaining for diehard fans. It embraces the classic comic book energy of the 1960s era: bright colors, exaggerated performances, and unabashedly silly storytelling.

The film is a loving homage to its source material, if not a good film by traditional standards. Alex Hyde-White (Reed Richards) and Rebecca Staab (Sue Storm) deliver earnest performances, and Joseph Culp’s take on Doctor Doom is deliciously over-the-top, with a comic-accurate look that’s better than some later big-budget versions. In fact, the low budget leads to unintentional hilarity.

Stretchy Reed looks like a mannequin arm on strings, while the Thing was crafted from some very obvious foam. Yet somehow, that adds to the B-movie fun. It’s not a film to watch for quality; it’s one to watch to marvel at how it even exists.

There’s a sense that the people involved cared more than the studio that buried it. In a weird way, the 1994 Fantastic Four is more entertaining and affectionate towards the comics than some of its higher-budget successors – even if it was never officially released. It’s undoubtedly awful, but it’s at least fun.

3

Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer (2007)

Directed By Tim Story

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer improved upon some aspects of its 2005 predecessor, particularly in its tone and visual effects. However, it also made some baffling creative decisions, most notably in how it portrayed Galactus. Instead of depicting the world-eating cosmic giant fans know from the comics, the film reduced Galactus to a featureless space cloud.

This robbed the story of its grand scale and mythic power. That said, the inclusion of the Silver Surfer was a major highlight. Doug Jones (with Laurence Fishburne providing voice work) brought a quiet dignity and mysterious presence to the character. His scenes remain some of the most visually striking moments in the entire franchise.

The chemistry between the main cast (Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, and Michael Chiklis) continued to grow stronger. The film leans more into family dynamics and teamwork, which was refreshing. The humor and action balance is a bit uneven, but it’s a breezier, more watchable film than its reputation suggests.

Victor Von Doom once again makes a return, quite unnecessarily, and the story often feels overstuffed, especially with a rushed world-ending threat. Still, there’s fun to be had here, especially for younger audiences and fans of the Surfer. While the Galactus misfire is unforgivable, Rise of the Silver Surfer at least had some thrilling and dynamic moments.

2

Fantastic Four (2005)

Directed By Tim Story

The 2005 Fantastic Four was a bright, action-comedy take on Marvel’s First Family that embraced the bombastic comic book tone, for better or worse. It marked a sharp departure from the darker superhero films of the early 2000s and leaned into spectacle, humor, and vibrant character dynamics. Its biggest strength lies in the cast.

Chris Evans steals nearly every scene as Johnny Storm, bringing cocky charisma and perfect comedic timing. Michael Chiklis delivers a heartfelt and tragic take on Ben Grimm/The Thing, while Ioan Gruffudd and Jessica Alba provide serviceable versions of Reed and Sue. The film has a fun, Saturday morning cartoon vibe, making it perfect for family audiences.

It also doesn’t shy away from embracing its sci-fi roots. However, the movie is also undeniably a product of its time; packed with mid-2000s clichés, dated CGI, and some cringeworthy dialogue. Its take on Doctor Doom, once again, falls flat, giving him an underwhelming corporate backstory and a villain arc that lacks the gravitas or threat level of his comic counterpart.

Still, for many, this film remains a nostalgic favorite. It’s lighthearted, easy to watch, and features some genuinely funny and warm moments between the team members. If nothing else, it captured the essence of four very different people learning to become a family – even if the final product didn’t quite soar as high as the source material promised.

1

The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

Directed By Matt Shakman

The Fantastic Four: First Steps finally gave Marvel’s First Family the adaptation they’ve always deserved. This 2025 reboot under Marvel Studios got nearly everything right, from tone to casting to cosmic stakes. The film balances humor, emotion, and high-concept science fiction without ever losing sight of its heart: family.

Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben feel more like real people than ever before. Their transformation into superheroes is told in the opening montage, leaving the rest of hte movie to explore their personalities in more detail. More importantly, this is the first film that understands the grandeur of the Fantastic Four’s world.

The movie fully embraces their explorer idenтιтy, sending them to strange universes and battling threats bigger than Earth, including Galactus. This time, the Devourer of Worlds is done right: a towering, god-like being that evokes awe and fear, straight from Jack Kirby’s designs. The visuals are stunning, and the score underscores every moment with epic flair.

First Steps is brimming with Marvel characters not yet depicted in the MCU and the 1960s retro-futurist tone makes it one of the most unique entrants in the franchise. First Steps feels like a celebration of Marvel’s Silver Age, with numerous references to Jack Kirby. It manages all this while modernizing the characters for today’s audiences.

It’s joyous and hopeful, and finally proves that with the right team, the Fantastic Four can stand tall alongside the MCU’s best. This is the definitive live-action version of the team, and it’s the only one that captures what made them special from the beginning. The Fantastic Four: First Steps presents Marvel’s First Family at their very best.