Welcome to The Beat’s Fantastic Four (2025) movie roundtable. Many of us on staff have had the opportunity to see the latest theatrical offering from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now, we’ve returned from Earth-828 and gathered back at Stately Beat Manor to discuss.
In part two of our two-part roundtable, we discuss how the movie compares to the previous adaptations of Marvel’s First Family and look forward to the future of the MCU. Be sure and let us know what you thought of the newest Marvel Studios flick, either here in the comment section or over on social media.
This article includes copious SPOILERS for Fantastic Four.
How do you feel Fantastic Four (2025) compared to previous big screen adaptations?
D. MORRIS: I think this movie got the Fantastic Four right in a way that is less obvious than it might seem. Yes, the portrayal of the characters was incredible and accurate to what we see in the comics. What this really got right more than any iteration before it though is that the Fantastic Four have superpowers but they’re not superheroes. They’re adventurers who are a family and that was so obvious from the first scene. Fantastic Four at its heart is a science fiction book and this was a science fiction film. Also, Galactus wasn’t a cloud. Thank god, Galactus wasn’t a cloud.
DEANNA DESTITO: Best one, in my opinion. While there are elements in the early 2000s films that I did like, this one felt truer to the characters. I also felt like they weren’t caricatures, which is often what happens. Johnny wasn’t just running around trying to get as many women as possible. They acknowledged he enjoys the ladies, but it wasn’t his only vibe. Not to hate on Chris Evans’ Johnny because I do love him (mainly because I love Evans), but it made him one-note, and the gag got old. This Johnny had a lot more levels to him.
OLLIE KAPLAN: Evans as Johnny in Deadpool & Wolverine was pure gold.
DEAN SIMONS: I don’t remember any of them which probably says a lot. I do have issues with the 2025 movie though. The second half felt like too much was left out to streamline the movie. Lyonne’s character felt perfunctory and the pivot point of the Silver Surfer lent too heavily on a flashback sequence.
GEORGE CARMONA 3rd: I didn’t hate the 2005 or 2015 movies, and I have never seen the Roger Corman version. Needless to say, this is the best FF on film. The 2005 film created that family vibe associated with the comics, and I get the `15 version was heavily influenced by the Ultimate Fantastic Four comic, which had its own flavor. First Steps was the definite improvement with a bad guy that worked, Doctor Doom from `05 was a bit off with his motivation and power set, and yes, Cloud Galactus was a serious misstep for their movie.
JEREMY FUSCALDO: When it comes to the previous adaptations of the Fantastic Four, there is no competition. This is by far the best version that we have had after so many previous attempts.
This is in part because one of the biggest problems of the previous iterations was that they were trying too hard to be a ‘modern’ take on the Fantastic Four. You can tell there was a genuine fear of representing the 60s aesthetic that had created the family, and it lacked a strong auteur director’s vision. And I think the problem was only made worse in the 2010s Fantastic Four/Fant4stic movie by Josh Trank.
The only other film adaptation that came close was Corman’s unreleased Fantastic Four movie from the 90s. While it was a poorly directed mess of a picture, people have pointed out that you could still recognize the basic passion and energy that it had for the classic comics– compared to the two iterations decades later.
Furthermore, this Fantastic Four film avoids the glaring pitfall of the previous Fantastic Four movies by not having Doctor Doom as the main antagonist of these films. Many film critics and essayists have long argued that Doctor Victor Von Doom is regarded as one of the greatest comic book villains of all time that making him the main antagonist of the first movie in a series undercuts the potential of the character that should be explored in later movies. It is part of the reason why many critics have argued for taking the same approach that Christopher Nolan did with the Joker – who did not appear in Batman Begins until the sequel, The Dark Knight. There, he was able to utilize the potential of that character after the proper world building was set up to make him an effective threat to the main heroes. Ultimately, my hope is that the same approach is used for Doctor Doom and that the Russo Brothers learn that lesson in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars where it will be his time to shine.
GREGORY PAUL SILBER: The only Fantastic Four movie I saw before First Steps was the never-officially-released Corman-produced one from 1994 that George mentioned. It has its charms, but its abysmal production values make it nearly unwatchable for anyone who doesn’t suffer from a morbid curiosity about bad movies like Ollie Kaplan and Avery Kaplan and I. Needless to say, First Steps was better in pretty much every conceivable way. Dr. Doom is the main villain of the 1994 version though, and while I understand the appeal of making him the big bad of the entire MCU in the next two Avengers movies, I would have liked for his relationship with the FF to be explored more in First Steps. He is primarily a Fantastic Four villain, after all. I loved the new depiction of Galactus though, so I’m not complaining about that.
OLLIE KAPLAN: Avery and I discussed this the other night, and the never-officially-released Corman movie may be the best of the previous movies. It’s so bad, but it’s entertaining and perfect for fans of camp. Although I have to admit that the Arrested Development take on the Corman FF film might be even better… Could it be better than First Steps? Maybe. I am still deciding on this 2025 version of the team. I am not sure that I liked all the artistic choices of how the characters were portrayed, but sometimes my brain just needs time to adapt to a new version of the character. Pedro Pascal‘s Reed Richards was incredibly soft-spoken, and it didn’t vibe with my interpretation of the character in the comics. In the comics, Reed always comes across as an obnoxious, loud know-it-all, and a constant reminder of my absentee dad, who is committed more to his intellectual curiosity than family (yet oblivious to that fact). Now, First Steps did get the absentee dad part right, as we saw Reed escape into his lab for hours to “save his son” rather than actually “be with his son.”
BILLY HENEHAN: I think it’s the best of the Fantastic Four movies, but wow, talk about a low bar to hurdle and a dubious accolade.I was grateful that we got to skip yet another origin story. Starting four years after they got their powers was the right move, and a nice nod to the Silver Surfer’s first appearance in Fantastic Four #48.
AVERY KAPLAN: This was easily the best FF movie yet. And as Greg pointed out, the 1994 version wasn’t actually that bad, and might even be the second best adaptation. The early 2000s movies were decently cast but feel like a product of their “superheroes but ‘cool’” time. I did greatly enjoy Evans reprising the role of Johnny Storm in Deadpool and Wolverine. And the less said about the 2015 movie, the better.
TAIMUR DAR: The 2005 and 2007 films were admittedly silly but I’d be lying if I said they weren’t entertaining. The infamous 2015 FANT4STIC is without a doubt a cinematic abomination. So much wrong with the film that if I had a week I couldn’t list all of its atrocities. Among the top is the creative decision to have The Thing not wear pants!
JUSTIN GUERRERO: I might be biased but I have a soft spot for the 2005 Fantastic Four film as that was my first introduction to them. It was campy, it was fun, it was a superhero film through and through and it did exactly that. Having watched the recent film, Pascal as Reed is growing on me compared to when he was first cast, and Moss-Bachrach really did a good job adding more character to The Thing and I like his portrayal in this film compared to the original. Plus, we finally got a proper live-action Galactus that isn’t a giant space cloud for once and paired with Ralph Ineson‘s voice just gives me chills, that wonderful feeling from when I first saw VVitch back in the day. I knew he was a perfect pick for the role.
I do feel like the Fantastic Four in the MCU feel a bit nerfed though compared to the 2005 and 2007 film, especially in regards to Reed Richards’ abilities. Could be done possibly to not make Pedro look uncanny in VFX, but it also inadvertently makes it feel like MCU Reed’s stretching abilities pale in comparison to Ioan Gruffudd’s portrayal of Reed.
LAWRENCE MARABLE: I don’t remember the previous Fantastic Four Films well, but I do remember thinking that the group was pretty lame. This movie refreshed my mind and made me think of how cool they are as a family unit. It helps that I’ve got a bit more familiarity with them than I did in earlier Fantastic Four films. I know people hold the original cast of the Fantastic Four (2005) in high regard, but I never saw what the hype is about.
HEIDI MACDONALD: It was the best but that is saying little.
What are you hoping to see next from the Fantastic Four, or the MCU in general?
D. MORRIS: I never thought I’d see Mole Man and/or Giganto in a movie and this gave me that. With that said, it’s long past time that we see Annihilus and trip to the Negative Zone in a Fantastic Four film. Feige, please call me so I can write the sequel? Also I need a Hulk vs. Thing fight. This needs to happen.
DEANNA DESTITO: I want to see how this Doom will be and how this will all work out, make sense, etc. I think RDJ will be a great Doom, but I need to understand how he’s not Iron Man.
DEAN SIMONS: More self contained movies not dependent on 15+ years of storytelling.
GEORGE CARMONA 3rd: I know we’re breaking away from the Multiverse of it all, but a Council of Reeds story would be fun, and let’s get Ioan Gruffudd, Miles Teller, and John Krasinski to reprise their roles for this. Besides that, I can’t wait to see the FF’s reaction to the world of the 616 and all of its baggage.
JEREMY FUSCALDO: I have a few ideas– but I will try to keep them as small as possible. First and foremost, I really want to see a fight between Ben Grimm’s The Thing and Bruce Banner/Hulk.
I would also love to see the film become a quadrilogy where each film shifts from team member to member as the main protagonist. Depending upon what direction the franchise goes– I hope we get a film with Johnny Storm as the main focus, Reed and/or Sue as the main focus and The Thing as the main focus (hence my Thing/Hulk suggestion)
In the grand scheme of the MCU, my hope is that Doctor Doom/Victor Von Doom’s origin and background is properly adapted in the upcoming films– he is a dictator, a wizard and a mad scientist and many other things. And while I am ultimately mixed on the casting of Robert Downey Jr as the Latverian Dictator– my hope is that The Russo Brothers and other potential directors honor his comic heritage however they can while attempting to innovate the medium of filmmaking and staying true to their brand of filmmaking.
Ultimately, my hope is that Feige and Marvel Studios learn the right lessons from James Gunn’s DC Studios projects and keep their films self contained while still relying on the world building into larger film projects.
GREGORY PAUL SILBER: Besides the characters I already mentioned, I hope Valeria gets introduced sooner than later. I don’t want the MCU wasting any time completing Marvel’s First Family. I’d also like to see Johnny meet Tom Holland’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man, since they have such a great friendship in the comics. And I hope Secret Wars isn’t the last we see of Doctor Doom!
BILLY HENEHAN: Am I the only one already tired of the multiverse in the MCU? I’d like to see more of the FF on Earth-828. It’s a fun world.
AVERY KAPLAN: I am hoping for an Agatha Harkness variant (Kathryn Hahn) to show up as Franklin’s babysitter. Or if they do immigrate to the prime MCU timeline, Agatha’s ghost and Wiccan (Joe Locke) could babysit him together. And I have to second George’s hope that we get the Council of Reeds (maybe spaghetti’d Krasinski could have a special FF bowl) and Greg’s suggestion that Johnny should meet Peter. They’re such a cute couple!
Finally, they need to introduce Squirrel Girl to the MCU so she can meet Galactus. I want to see this scene on the big screen:
OLLIE KAPLAN: Agatha, please! She is such an essential part of the Franklin storyline, and of Sue’s growth as a superhero, that I think it would be unfortunate not to include her. I also hope that Doom’s introduction will lead to Wanda’s return. Having both Wanda and Franklin at play could be really interesting!
TAIMUR DAR: Honestly, I think Feige and Marvel Studios should be looking to take their cues from James Gunn and DC Studios with projects that are more self-contained but feed into a larger universe continuity. But really, I’m just praying they actually finally do Doctor Doom justice on screen because I’m still not fully onboard with RDJ.
JUSTIN GUERRERO: While I love to see more of the Fantastic Four in the MCU especially with Secret Wars and Doomsday coming up, I worry it might be too late. What I mean is, if what I hear is true and there could be a potential soft or hard reboot of the MCU after those films, then we don’t really have much time to really care about the current Fantastic Four before their story is over for now. This comes partly as a result of the MCU taking too long to introduce the Fantastic Four into the MCU, like the X-Men. So when we get to truly enjoy these characters and what stories await them will most likely be after this point post-Secret Wars/Doomsday, assuming the Fantastic Four isn’t recast again or a lot of retcons take place. My worry is by then, general audiences will just be tired of the MCU considering the nearly 20 years of films and shows to watch only for it to both matter and not matter when it hits a new starting point.
LAWRENCE MARABLE: I fear I’m more worried for the Fantastic Four than I am excited. The merging with the main MCU, the plans for Doom in Avengers Doomsday, make me think that the four are going to become characters of themselves in a larger cast, or will get lost in the sauce in trying to make the Tony Stark-like Doom concept work. I’d love to see them come back in their solo film fighting off more Fantastic Four villains, but I’m concerned that with the way the MCU is going, this might have been the last time we see them in an independent movie.
HEIDI MACDONALD: The MCU era is over. FF’s box office is going to be pretty mid so I don’t know if we’ll see any Second Steps. That said, they are great characters with a great supporting cast from the comics, and the cast is stellar, so I hope they get a better outing with more meat on it next time.
Photos credit: Marvel Studios.
Fantastic Four is currently playing in theaters.
