In 1994, The Fantastic Four failed to make it into cinemas. Yep, failed.

The very first Fantastic Four film was shot, edited, and (kind of ready) for audiences, but the low-budget movie was shelved. And to date, that movie has never been given an official release, even though it was the first in a series of Fantastic Four films.

But how many Fantastic Four movies are there?

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The Fantastic Four films in order

Image: ©Constantin Film

To date, there are four Fantastic Four movies. The Fantastic Four films – which were produced between 1994 and 2015 – include:

  • The Fantastic Four (1994)
  • Fantastic Four (2005)
  • Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
  • Fantastic Four (2015)

Of these four movies, 1994’s The Fantastic Four has never been released in an official capacity, but the other three entries have all received theatrical releases.

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Why was The Fantastic Four not released?

There are various stories as to why The Fantastic Four has never received an official release. The most common explanation is that the movie was originally produced as a way for the studio to retain the rights to the characters and it was never intended to be seen publicly.

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How have people seen The Fantastic Four?

Despite not receiving an official release, The Fantastic Four has cropped up on bootleg tapes and DVDs, usually via the convention circuit. The movie often appears on YouTube too.

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Are the Fantastic Four movies connected?

Image: ©20th Century Fox

The Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four 2015 are stand-alone tales, which are not connected to any other movie. However, both Fantastic Four ’05 and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer are part of the same series and feature the same core cast.

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Who are the cast of the Fantastic Four films?

The cast of the Fantastic Four films differ across the course of the series. Notable actors in the Fantastic Four series include Alex Hyde-White, Jay Underwood, Rebecca Staab, Michael Bailey Smith, Carl Ciarfalio, Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis, Chris Evans, Julian McMahon, Kerry Washington, Doug Jones, Laurence Fishburne, Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, and Toby Kebbell.

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Is the Fantastic Four series the work of the same director?

The Fantastic Four films are the work of multiple directors. Oley Sassone directed The Fantastic Four, Tim Story directed Fantastic Four ’05 and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and Josh Trank directed Fantastic Four 2015.

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What is the best Fantastic Four film?

Image: ©20th Century Fox

Fantastic Four ‘05 and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer are generally considered to be the strongest films in the series. Fantastic Four 2015 and The Fantastic Four are regarded as weak entries.

According to IMDb the Fantastic Four films are ranked as follows:

  • Fantastic Four (2005) – 5.7/10
  • Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) – 5.6/10
  • Fantastic Four (2015) – 4.3/10
  • The Fantastic Four (1994) – 3.8/10
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I hope this information about the Fantastic Four film series has proved useful. Should you wish to know more about other long-running movie series, please check out one of the recommended reads below.

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