The Fantastic Four: First Steps is just a few days away from its release. Amid this, fans are recalling the original reboot of the franchise that was released in 2015. The sequel to this particular Fantastic Four film was eventually shelved. So, why was Fantastic Four 2 canceled after the big revamp?
Here is everything you need to know about the cancellation of the second chapter of the original reboot of the superhero franchise.
Why Fox canceled Fantastic Four 2 before Disney acquisition
Fox canceled Fantastic Four 2 before the Disney acquisition, seemingly due to the first part’s colossal failure.
The film premiered on August 7, 2015, as a reboot of the Fantastic Four film series, and it failed to live up to expectations. It opened to negative reviews from critics and currently stands at an IMDb rating of 4.3/10 and 9% on Rotten Tomatoes. Additionally, the film performed poorly at the box office, collecting $168 million worldwide against a production budget of $120 million. The superhero flick ended up generating a loss of $80 to $100 million for the studio.
Moreover, Fantastic Four received some unwelcome awards, including Worst Director and Worst Picture. Director Josh Trank also expressed disappointment with the film and blamed the studio’s interference for producing a low-quality final product. Despite the failure, producer Simon Kinberg pushed for a sequel and finalized the release date as June 9, 2017. However, there was no further update.
Slowly, Fantastic Four 2 disappeared from 20th Century Fox’s slate of upcoming pictures. Later, in 2019, The Walt Disney Company acquired the studio. This move also left the future of the film hanging. Marvel Studios soon took control of the Fantastic Four franchise and announced a new film in July 2019. After making numerous changes, the studio revealed the new reboot title and cast in 2024. The team completed filming in November of the same year.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be released in theaters on July 25, 2025.
