How many Fantastic Four movies are there?

First published in 1961, Marvel’s Fantastic Four is one of the best-loved super hero comics of all time. The comic – which traditionally includes characters such as Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, and The Thing – has generally been a big seller for Marvel, as well as a fan-favourite.

Due to the success of the comic, various toys and games have been produced to tie in with the FF. The characters have also fronted a number of movies, including some high-profile pictures and one rather low-profile film.

Want to know all about the Fantastic Four movies? Then you had best keep on reading.

Below you will find a run through of all the FF movies to date. This includes an oft-overlooked film from 1994, which sort of flies under the radar.

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The Fantastic Four films in order

The Fantastic Four (1994)

First up is the Fantastic Four movie that is largely overlooked. It is overlooked because it failed to make it into cinemas… or even onto home video.

The very first Fantastic Four film, simply titled The Fantastic Four, was shot, edited, and (kind of) ready for audiences to watch. However, rather than be released, the low-budget picture was shelved and to date has NEVER been made available to the public in an official capacity.

People have seen it, because in the late ’90s and early ’00s it was circulated widely on the convention circuit via bootleg tapes and DVDs, and these days it can often be found on YouTube. But access to it is purely unofficial, and Marvel has never put it out on disc or digital.

As for the story, the movie focused on the origin of the FF, introducing Reed Richards, Susan and Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm. During the course of the film, the four friends gain super powers and battle the villainous Doctor Doom.

Fantastic Four (2005)

Eleven years after The Fantastic Four was shelved, another attempt was made to bring the FF to the big screen. The difference this time around is this one actually made it!

Distributed by 20th Century Fox, Fantastic Four was another origin story, which saw Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben head into space, along with acquaintance Victor Von Doom. During their trip, they gain super powers, which they have to learn how to use.

However, while Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben use their powers for good, Victor is keen to keep his abilities under wraps. That is until he decides to eliminate the group.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

Upon release, 2005’s Fantastic Four was a financial success, which in turn led to the development of a sequel. This sequel – titled Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer – was released in 2007, and saw the FF cross paths with the titular Surfer, with the fate of the world at stake.

Fantastic Four (2015)

Although 2007’s Rise of the Silver Surfer was largely seen as an improvement on the first instalment, it didn’t make as much money as its predecessor. As such, 20th Century Fox abandoned the series, before opting to reboot the property with a new cast of characters and a whole new direction.

Taking inspiration from the Ultimate Fantastic Four comics, this new take was a much darker affair. It saw the core characters involved in a spot of dimension hopping, which in turn gave them powers.

But despite the new approach, critics and audiences were not fans of this reboot. The film struggled to make an impact, the general response was negative, and too many backstage issues were made public and impacted the end result.

Doomed!: The Untold Story of Roger Corman’s The Fantastic Four (2015)

Onto something a little different for this next entry, which is the documentary film, Doomed!: The Untold Story of Roger Corman’s The Fantastic Four. This movie provides details about the production of the unreleased film from 1994, along with input, insights, and information from the cast and crew.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

Following the release of 2015’s Fantastic Four, the movies went on hiatus while 20th Century Fox contemplated the best way to take the film series forward. In the meantime, in 2019 Disney bought Fox, absorbed all its properties, and gained control of the Fantastic Four.

Now under the watchful eye of Disney, the FF were introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, initially via a couple of brief cameo appearances (one in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and another in Deadpool & Wolverine). The team was then fully introduced into the MCU via 2025’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

To date, including the docu-film, there are six Fantastic Four movies. The Fantastic Four films include:

• The Fantastic Four (1994)
• Fantastic Four (2005)
• Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
• Fantastic Four (2015)
• Doomed!: The Untold Story of Roger Corman’s The Fantastic Four (2015)
• The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

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The Fantastic Four movie series

The Fantastic Four movies are divided into the following collections:

Unreleased

• The Fantastic Four (1994)

The ’00s era

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

The reboot

• Fantastic Four (2015)

The documentary film

• Doomed!: The Untold Story of Roger Corman’s The Fantastic Four (2015)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe

• The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

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Who are the cast of the Fantastic Four movies and are the films the work of the same director?

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, Toby Kebbell, Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ralph Ineson, Julia Garner, John Malkovich, Natasha Lyonne, and Paul Walter Hauser.

In terms of directors, the Fantastic Four movies are the work of the following:

• Oley Sassone directed 1994’s The Fantastic Four
• Tim Story directed 2005’s Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
• Josh Trank directed 2015’s Fantastic Four
• Marty Langford directed Doomed!: The Untold Story of Roger Corman’s The Fantastic Four
• Matt Shakman directed The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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What is the best Fantastic Four film?

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

• The Fantastic Four (1994) – 3.8/10
• Fantastic Four (2005) – 5.7/10
• Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) – 5.6/10
• Fantastic Four (2015) – 4.3/10
• Doomed!: The Untold Story of Roger Corman’s The Fantastic Four (2015) – 6.8/10
• The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) – Not yet rated

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Editor/Writer/Human Torch

Alex Wiggan

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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 on It’s A Stampede!, please check out the recommended reads below.