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.
In fact, we heard not too long ago that the studio is looking into a “kid-friendly” reboot, which is certainly not what fans want. And now, to make matters even worse, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has put paid to the idea once more, saying that there are no plans at this time for the titular heroes to enter the MCU.
“There are certainly no plans whatsoever for that. But too many amazing things have happened over the past 17 years for me to ever say never. But for now, nothing.”
Doesn’t get much more direct than that, right? While Feige doesn’t rule it out completely, we wouldn’t count on it happening anytime soon. Fox has got a tight hold on the rights to the characters and like we said above, they’re still planning on using them in future films.
It may not be what fans want, but it’s the reality of the situation and for now, we’re just going to have to accept the fact that the Fantastic Four won’t be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
