In some parallel universe, Fox’s 2015 reboot of the Fantastic Four was a runaway success, rendering all other superhero films obsolete. And, due to its flattening of Avatar at the box office, the highly anticipated sequel was able to make its projected theatrical date of June 9, 2017, effortlessly redefining modern cinema as our doppelgangers know it.
But, in our native universe, things didn’t go so well. By now, you’re well aware that the reboot failed to resonate with critics and moviegoers alike, thus becoming one of the rare bombs produced by what’s often been referred to as “the Golden Age of Superhero Movies.” And, likewise, the sequel was silently removed from Fox’s theatrical schedule and ultimately never came to fruition.
So, despite three consecutive strikes at bat, many true believers are still keeping their fingers crossed hoping that Marvel Studios will be able to reclaim the cinematic rights to the First Family at some point in our lifetime. Unfortunately, that won’t be anytime soon, as Fox remains keen on trying to get the formula right and achieving the same level of success they’ve been able to with the X-Men franchise.
As such, it wasn’t too surprising when Marvel Studios’ mastermind, Kevin Feige, said the following to AlloCiné in a recent chat with the outlet:
“[We have] no plans with the Fantastic Four right now. No discussions about it.”
As saddening as that is, it shouldn’t shock any of us to hear they’re not wasting their time talking about a set of characters they’re no closer having the rights to than they were yesterday. Still, we can always dream of the possibilities that’d come with the Fantastic Four existing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially when you consider that the Thing was once counted among the Guardians of the Galaxy.
