10 Comic Book Characters Who've Never Had A Decent Movie

When Constantin Film faced losing the option on the Fantastic Four property unless a movie began shooting on a set date, they turned to Roger Corman whose company took a script budgeted at $40 million and ground out a feature that cost $1.98 million. So if you don’t recall seeing the 1994 film on video shelves, that’s because it was never meant to be released, only to fulfil an obligation.

The thin story and soap opera level of characterization, however, did provide a blueprint for every subsequent Fantastic Four movie. When the 2005 movie reached theaters, audiences noted how bland and witless it was compared to The Incredibles, released the previous year. It was another film about a group of superheroes battling a jealous former acolyte – how could you possibly screw it up?

Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer answered that question, after which the franchise lay on ice until Josh Trank’s ill-starred 2015 reboot. All setup and no pay-off, Trank’s movie began promisingly before crashing in a heap thanks to studio sanctioned reshoots and restructuring.

Given the Fox/Disney merger, great things could be in store in a fifth stab at the franchise. Or not. We’ll see how it goes.