While the 2005 "Fantastic Four" and its 2007 sequel, "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," didn't win over critics upon their release, Michael Chiklis, who played Ben Grimm (The Thing), recently told Collider that both films were "underrated" and that critics at the time "got it wrong."
Chiklis recalled, "I think a lot of critics got it wrong. I think they really misunderstood our movies, and they're very underrated. Audiences loved them. It was one of those situations where the critics didn't buy into it, but the audiences loved it, and that's still true to this day." He believes that while the films weren't perfect, they were still family-friendly and highly entertaining, adding, "They got a lot right."
Despite the two films earning only 28% and 37% approval ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively, their box office performance was solid. Chiklis pointed out, "Those two movies combined made $750 million. All those audience members couldn't have been wrong, could they?" With the upcoming "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" generating buzz, the original two films have once again garnered attention.
Ioan Gruffudd, who starred alongside Chiklis as Mr. Fantastic, revealed that a trilogy was originally planned. "The idea was to do three. The second one did as well as the first, and fans really loved it. I particularly enjoyed working with Doug Jones, who played the Silver Surfer; he's a master of physical performance, second to none."
However, the third film never materialized, a decision Gruffudd lamented was beyond his control. Nevertheless, both he and Chiklis agree that these two mid-2000s "Fantastic Four" films still hold a place in Marvel cinematic history and deserve re-evaluation and appreciation from fans.
via： Collider