Marvel films and I go way back, whether MCU or not. These films are important to millions and exhibit hope and inspiration that the world sorely needs. A core memory of my childhood is the Fantastic Four throw blanket my sister and I would carry around the house. That blanket was a result of the love we had for the original theatrical film that brought Marvel’s First Family to the big screen. With the new reboot kicking off Phase Six of the MCU in just two short weeks, it is poetic that the anniversary of the original is just before. 

2005’s Fantastic Four exhibits the typical 2000s action film in both production quality and subject matter while doubling as early exposure to comic book movies for many Gen Z kids. Following a storm of cosmic rays that give each member of the Fantastic Four newfound abilities, the team must band together to stop Dr. Doom from taking over New York City. It is a rather basic premise for a Fantastic Four film, especially considering the drastic change in setting for the 2025 reiteration. 

The cast is the most nostalgic part of the film for many, including myself. I am particularly fond of Chris Evans’s take on Johnny Storm/Human Torch, which would later be reprised in 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine. While he is most known for his iconic role as Captain America in the MCU films, his role as Johnny is a great exhibition of his range as an actor. He flawlessly melts into the arrogant bad-boy type which plays well off of the rest of the team’s seriousness. Although Joseph Quinn’s performance, which he has stated notably deviates from Evans’s, will undoubtedly steal the hearts of many around the world, Evans was the blueprint for Johnny Storm and will be hard to beat. 

The rest of the cast explores their roles in a rather subdued way but still shines as an iconic 2000s ensemble. Ioan Gruffudd portrays Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic as rather clueless despite being one of the smartest people on the planet, which shows through especially in his interactions with Jessica Alba’s Sue Storm/Invisible Woman. Alba is meant to act as the glue that holds the team together but feels more like eye candy than anything else. While this characterization is not uncommon for leading women in the 2000s, there is a noticeable lack of development for her character compared to the others. 

Michael Chiklis’s performance as Ben Grimm/The Thing is one of the best parts of the film, feeling the most heavily fleshed out next to Evans’s Human Torch. The new iteration of the film will likely gloss over Ben’s reaction to being permanently physically altered by the cosmic storm, which is portrayed effortlessly by Chiklis. His performance shines through the impressive practical effects on display for his costume as The Thing. The cast, despite some faults in the writing, brings their best to craft a team dynamic that feels realistic and organic.

Although quite formulaic, the film’s modern setting of the early 2000s provides an interesting commentary on the celebrity culture of the time. After a bridge scuffle that results in the team being praised as heroes, a compelling subplot arises in which the team deals with their newfound fame in different ways. Ben, Sue, and Reed remain holed up in the Baxter Building for individual reasons while Johnny goes public to influence his own image. The reaction most of the team has towards their celebrity status is a clear commentary on the invasive entitlement fans and paparazzi feel towards celebrities. When the team reprimands Johnny for failing to lay low during a turbulent period for all of them, it comes from a place of serious concern for the team’s safety and privacy. Since celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton were at the forefront of popular culture around this time, it proved relevant to use a team that is widely known to the public as superheroes to comment on what real people are dealing with in the spotlight. Although not a new or particularly deep commentary on fame, Fantastic Four takes a superhero family-now-celebrities and ties it into relevant themes, organically using its 2000s backdrop to further the story instead of setting up a bloated expanded universe.

While tackling a theme relevant to celebrity culture in the 2000s, that also comes with an incredibly dated film, this is evident in the aforementioned characterization of Alba’s Sue Storm as well as several technical aspects. The film is shot like a made-for-TV movie and looks noticeably cheap in comparison to other Marvel films of the time, like Spider-Man (2002), which is highly regarded as one of the best. The soundtrack for the film is the most jarring, featuring music from Taking Back Sunday, Sum 41, and more. These elements create a film that feels the same as one of the games from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series: Mostly style, little substance.

Where Fantastic Four falls the most flat is its uninspired antagonist. Dr. Victor Von Doom (the late Julian McMahon), who was also subjected to the same cosmic rays, becomes hungry for power and tries to kill the team in the process. McMahon’s performance is a formative version of Doom for many 2000s babies like myself, but it is simply boring in comparison to the best Marvel villains. While I do not expect anything special from Robert Downey Jr.’s upcoming performance in the highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday (2026), it will certainly be more interesting than McMahon’s, for better or for worse. 

Fantastic Four is not the perfect iteration of the team. It is incredibly difficult to create a comic book film that will win over every fan but to take a team that was largely stuck in the 1960s and modernize them for the decade of flip phones and The Simple Life (2003-2007) is a feat in and of itself. Even if this version of Marvel’s First Family does not stick the landing in numerous cinematic aspects, there is a clear and visible love for this film that transcends generations. 

This is by no means a groundbreaking early CBM, but it holds a nostalgia that reminds many of a time when comic book films were able to walk a fine line between corny and serious. That feeling cannot be replicated in the era of fan service and end credit scenes, so many regard Fantastic Four as a nostalgic trip to the early days of comic book films.

Fantastic Four is an incredibly dated film despite the nostalgia many have for it. Its cast comes together to foster an organic team dynamic with a couple of original performances despite bland writing, development, and general production quality. I was surprised to see a comic book film tackle a relevant theme for the time, and although it does nothing particularly groundbreaking with it, I have to give it its flowers for trying to do something mildly different. While the new film will likely push this one further back into the minds of many, its history as a staple of early 2000s culture and comic book films is unmatched.

Retrospective Courtesy of Nadia Arain

Feature Image Credit to 20th Century Studios via People