Reed Richards star Ioan Gruffudd reveals whyFantastic Four 3never happened during hisMarvelera. WhileThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsmoviehas finally brought the iconic team into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this is one of the many film takes on Marvel’s First Family, as the 2000s had several incarnations of them in live-action.
From 2005 to 2007,Fox’sFantastic Fourfranchise featured the iconic Marvel heroes on the big screen before the MCU had even come to life. WhileFantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surferwas the last time that version of the team was seen together,it appears there were plans for a third installment.
In a new interview withVulture, Gruffudd, who portrayed Mister Fantastic in the Fox films, opened up about how the original cast was actually contracted for aFantastic Fourtrilogy. The Welsh actor shared more on how aFantastic Four 3film was initially part of the plans by revealing the following:
The mind-set was that we were going to do three, and I think the second movie was equally successful as the first and equally enjoyable for the fans. I particularly loved working with Doug Jones [as the Silver Surfer] on that movie, who’s just a terrific artist and an expert in the field of movement. If you want to witness somebody bringing a character to life physically, he’s just untouchable. So there was definitely that sort of momentum, and the plan was to do three movies, but these decisions are beyond my control.
DespiteFantastic Four 3never getting greenlit, the MCU was able to honor the Fox franchise during The Multiverse Saga. The MCU’s own Captain America, Chris Evans, got to reprise his version of Johnny Storm, a.k.a. the Human Torch from Fox’sFantastic Fourmovies, in 2024’sDeadpool & Wolverine.
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It’s not shocking that aFantastic Four 3movie was initially part of the plans for Fox,as it’s common for actors to sign on for a trilogy, even if sequels are not a guarantee to happen. But given the box office performance ofFantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, as well as its critical reception, it makes sense whyFantastic Four 3never got developed.
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Another huge factor that likely played a crucial part inFantastic Four 3getting cancelled was the rise of the MCU in 2008,as Fox rebooted Fantastic Four with a younger cast, which culminated with the 2015 installment. But2015’sFantastic Fourwas even a bigger disaster for the studio, and became the last iteration of Marvel’s First Family before the MCU’s 2025 reboot.
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From hearing Gruffudd’s comments aboutFantastic Four 3,it’s evident that it was out of his control that a threequel never happened. However, even thoughFantastic Four 3was never able to come to fruition,the MCU timelinecould bring them back to Phase 6, especially after Evans' 2024 return.
WithAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Warsset to focus on the Marvel multiverse,Marvel Studios could always have Gruffudd and his other cast members reprise their versions of The Fantastic Four one last time. Hopefully, despiteFantastic Four 3being scrapped, the MCU will find a way to bring back that iteration before The Multiverse Saga is over.
