An infamous superhero movie flop from 2015 has convinced me that theMarvel Cinematic UniverseandDC Universeare both on the right track.2025 is very important for Marvel, as it is for DC. The latter will seeJames Gunn’sSupermanmoviereleased, kickstarting the new franchise based around DC Comics' iconic characters.
Meanwhile, the MCU is gearing up forupcoming Marvel movieslikeAvengers: Doomsday, with the likes ofCaptain America: Brave New World,Thunderbolts*,andThe Fantastic Four: First Stepssetting this up. Therefore,2025 might be the single most important year for both major comic book movie companies in a long time.
Putting that importance aside, I think Marvel and DC will both rise to the challenge. Something that has made this clear to me is a rewatch of asuperhero movie box office flopfrom 2015. Thanks to several elements of that film, I am more confident than ever that Marvel and DC are in good hands going forward.
2015’s Fantastic Four Felt Ashamed Of Being A Superhero Movie
By Failing To Embrace Its Source Material
The movie in question is 2015’s version ofFantastic Four. The movie was a bomb at the box office, earning only $167 million against a $120 million budget, tanking any plans for a franchise. The movie was also critically panned, with one big reason as to why standing out 10 years later:Fantastic Fourwas afraid to be a superhero movie.
Fantastic Fouris certainly a product of its time in the sense that it is an attempt at a gritty, grounded take on the world of superheroes. In trying to create this kind of movie,Fantastic Fourloses everything that makes its source material so special.
In many ways,it begins to come across as though the filmmakers were ashamed to embrace the Marvel universe when makingFantastic Four. The story tries to remove several elements from the comic books, even including the superhero names of the titular team. The now-infamous final scene in which the four main characters try to come up with a team name is the only time the words “Fantastic Four” are teased throughout, with this extending to the codenames of Reed, Sue, Ben, and Johnny.
The idea was probably that making something gritty and grounded means removing elements that made the comic book what it was known for…
The Human Torch and The Thing are the only two hero names mentioned in the film, and both come once more as jokes in the much-memed final scene. Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman are not named, with Dr. Doom’s name only being dropped as a quippy pun by Sue Storm in the film’s first half.
This all reinforces the idea of the creators ofFantastic Fourbeing ashamed to make the film, well, a Fantastic Four film. Looking back 10 years later, the idea was probably that making something gritty and grounded means removing elements that made the comic book what it was known for, from superhero names to bright, colorful costumes.
2025’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps Is Much More Comfortable As A Comic Book Movie
Marvel Studios Is In A Better Place Than 20th Century Fox Was In 2015
This brings me to thestory ofThe Fantastic Four: First Steps.This is the first attempt at aFantastic Fourmovie since 2015’s version failed, critically and commercially. As part of the MCU,The Fantastic Four:First Stepshas been shown to embrace its comic book elementsin a way 2015’sFantastic Fourdid not, with the trailers proving as much.
In the final trailer alone,The Fantastic Four: First Stepsembraces more elements of its source material thanFantastic Fourever did, and that is before the former has even been released in theaters. The names Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and The Thing are all used, as is the titular group name for all four.
Even a character like HERBIE being included proves thatThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsis embracing its source material.
Michael Giacchino’s score blares throughout with orchestral renditions of “Fantastic Four,” as the characters wear their comic book-accurate costumes in combat. Then there are the villains, Galactus and Silver Surfer, each sporting designs almost identical to their counterparts from Marvel Comics. Overall,The Fantastic Four: First Stepsis much more comfortable as a comic book movie than 2015’sFantastic Fourwas.
The DCU Is Embracing A Fidelity To The Comic Books
Marvel’s Main Competitor Is Fixing Its Own Issues From The Past
On the other side of things, theDCU’s Chapter One: Gods and Monstersseems to be on the right track, much like the MCU is withThe Fantastic Four: First Steps.Just asFantastic Fourwas a very different, unfaithful adaptation of the Marvel comic books, many would argue that certain movies in the old DCEU timeline did the same for DC Comics.
However, if the actions of DCU head James Gunn and reactions to his first movie,Superman, are anything to go by, it seems as though DC is in good hands, too. Manyreactions toSupermanpraise it as one of the most “comic-booky” comic book movies ever made, with Gunn having outlined runs likeAll-Star Supermanas a direct inspiration for the film. Moreover, prevalent comic book writers like Tom King are directly involved in the creation of the DCU.
Gunn has continued showing reverence for the source material since the DCU was announced, often giving direct mention of the various comic book stories that have inspired him. One could argue the DCEU was in as bad a spot as aspiring franchises likeFantastic Fourin 2015. A decade later, though,DC is fully embracing its roots as Marvel Studios is with Marvel Comics, proving both franchises have bright futures ahead.
Why 2015’s Fantastic Four Movie Avoided Its Comic Book Elements
They Opted For A Darker, More Realistic Tone
Finally, it is worth delving a little into whyFantastic Fourdecided to avoid elements of the source material. As already mentioned,the film is a product of its timein that sense. After the success of Christopher Nolan’sDark Knighttrilogy, there became an obsession with more grounded takes on superheroes that teased a franchise;Fantastic Fourwas a product of this.
After the success of Christopher Nolan’sDark Knighttrilogy, there became an obsession with more grounded takes on superheroes that teased a franchise;Fantastic Fourwas a product of this.
As a result, it became an almostunwatchable superhero movie. Rather than making a fun, enjoyable film,Fantastic Fourwas too focused on changing elements from the comicsin favor of much darker, more “realistic” origin stories. Director Josh Trank’s previous work on the unconventional superhero movieChroniclemay have influenced this.
$120 million
$167 million
9%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
18%
Whatever it was,Fantastic Fourfailed whereChronicledid not. A big reason for this was the latter’s status as an original movie, meaning there was nothing to compare it unfavorably to.Fantastic Fourevidently had that, typifying why changing the source material so drastically does not always work and reinforcing why the future of Marvel and DC is so promising.
