In late 1961, Stan Lee, a young fledgling writer trying his luck with comic books, was wrestling with routine superhero fare when his wife Joan offered a simple yet profound suggestion: "Why don't you write something we'd genuinely enjoy?" Lee took her advice to heart. Rejecting the era's stoic paragons, he envisioned a team of superheroes who bickered like real siblings and wore their flaws on their sleeves. Partnering with artist Jack Kirby, whose dynamic visuals and knack for co-plotting would define Marvel's method of storytelling, Lee introduced The Fantastic Four in issue #1, forever altering the comics landscape. A Housewife's Spark Ignites a Comic Revolution Lee's new quartet consisted of genius Reed Richards, his wife Sue Storm, her fiery brother Johnny Storm and Reed's stalwart friend Ben Grimm. Their debut pitched everyday human concerns against cosmic threats, earning immediate acclaim. Within months, Fantastic Four had become a flagship title, proving that readers craved heroes who argued over dinner tables as much as they battled supervillains.
By the late 1960s, the Fantastic Four had moved beyond comic-book pages to become a cultural phenomenon-merchandise, animated TV spots and fan conventions all attested to their appeal. Their mix of family drama and larger-than-life stakes captured imaginations worldwide, making Hollywood producers take note. Yet bringing Kirby's bold visuals and Lee's humanised heroes to the screen proved anything but straightforward. Below, we chart the Fantastic Four's often rocky journey from Corman's basement to the MCU's grand stage. The Saturday Morning Cartoons (1967, 1994, 1998) Long before cape-to-cape CGI arrived, the Fantastic Four and the Silver Surfer found new life in Saturday-morning cartoons that brought Kirby's cosmic vistas to television sets worldwide. The 1967 Fantastic Four series, though limited by budgetary constraints, captured the team's family dynamics and flair for quippy banter, introducing viewers to Doctor Doom, the Mole Man and other classic rogues.
In 1994, Fantastic Four returned with sharper animation and more faithful acoustic threats, setting the stage for the Surfer's own spin-off in 1998. Silver Surfer delved deeper into cosmic mythology, charting Norrin Radd's solitary odyssey across strange worlds that showcased Marvel's burgeoning multiverse long before it became an on-screen obsession. The Unreleased 1994 Version Long before CGI skyscrapers and digital studios, low-budget maverick Roger Corman quietly produced a Fantastic Four film to secure the rights for 20th Century Fox. Shot in secret and rumoured to have cost under $1 million, the film starred Alex Hyde-White and Rebecca Staab. Ultimately, it was shelved, surfacing only in pirate-copy circles as a footnote in comic-film lore. Tim Story's Fantastic Four Mainstream Duology (2005-2007) Fox returned to Marvel's First Family with Fantastic Four (2005) and Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), helmed by Tim Story. Ioan Gruffudd's Reed and Jessica Alba's Sue led a cast that included Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis. Aiming for broad appeal, the films emphasised light-hearted banter and spectacle. Though critics found them shallow, the pair grossed over $650 million worldwide, proving that the Fantastic Four could hold their own at the box office. Fantastic Four: The 2015 Reboot Mishap In an attempt to darken the tone, director Josh Trank reimagined the origin story in Fant4stic. Miles Teller's Reed grappled with moral dilemmas, while Michael B. Jordan's Johnny Storm brought intensity to the role. Unfortunately, creative clashes, extensive rewrites and troubled reshoots derailed the project. The result was a box-office disappointment and a cautionary tale about how too much behind-the-scenes turmoil can derail even a well-known property. Homecoming to Marvel Studios: First Steps and Beyond When Disney acquired Fox in 2019, the Fantastic Four finally returned to Marvel Studios. After several directors came and went, Matt Shakman was tapped to launch the team into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In Fantastic Four: First Steps, Reed (Pedro Pascal), Sue (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny (Joseph Quinn) and Ben (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) jump straight into the heart of 1960s retro-futurism. They face off against Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his herald, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), in a story that nods to the original "Galactus Trilogy" comics without rehashing the origin.
Shakman has spoken in interviews about favouring practical effects, opting for physical Galactus armour over pure CGI, to capture Jack Kirby's monumental designs. Composer Michael Giacchino's score blends 1960s brass with modern orchestration, underlining both the period setting and the film's stakes. Early reactions from fans and critics reviews suggest that First Steps balances family dynamics with genuine peril, honouring Lee's vision of heroes defined by their humanity as much as their powers. Why the Fantastic Four Is Still So Loved An