Movie Actor Ioan Gruffudd shares thoughts on the Unrealized Potential of 'Fantastic Four' Production
Original Fantastic Four Trilogy Falls Short of Completion
In an interview with Vulture, Ioan Gruffudd, who played the role of Mr. Fantastic in the original Fantastic Four movies, opened up about his experience with Marvel Studios and the disappointing end to the planned trilogy.
Gruffudd shared that the initial plan was for three Fantastic Four movies with the original cast, but the studio decided to halt the project after the second film. The actor expressed admiration for Doug Jones' performance as the Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and praised Jones' expertise in movement and bringing characters to life physically.
Despite the mixed critical reception, the second movie was as successful as the first, according to Gruffudd. He revealed that the cast and crew were eager to continue the story, but the studio chose not to proceed with a third installment in 2009. The actor described this cancellation as out of his control and expressed some regret over not being able to finish the trilogy.
The original Fantastic Four movies, produced by Marvel Studios, also featured Jessica Alba as Invisible Woman, Michael Chiklis as The Thing, and Chris Evans as Human Torch. The first two films performed reasonably well, creating a strong momentum and enthusiasm among the cast and crew for a trilogy. However, the third film was never made due to studio decisions that ended the series after the second film.
Gruffudd mentioned that playing Mr. Fantastic for two movies over several years made the character become a part of him. He concluded that as an actor, he grieves every character he plays, including Mr. Fantastic, and admitted that saying goodbye to his onscreen character was difficult.
The cancellation of the third movie left Gruffudd and the original cast feeling a sense of loss. Despite the disappointment, the actor remains grateful for the opportunity to bring the iconic Marvel characters to life on the big screen.
[1] Marvel Movies Database - Fantastic Four [2] Vulture - Ioan Gruffudd on the Unmade Fantastic Four Trilogy [3] IGN - Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer Review [4] Box Office Mojo - Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer Box Office Data
In hindsight, the cancellation of the planned Fantastic Four trilogy was a lost opportunity for viewers to enjoy a complete series of movies, as the original cast excelled in bringing these Marvel characters to life both on TV and the big screen. As Ioan Gruffudd highlighted, the entertainment spectacle offered by movies-and-tv in the Fantastic Four series was evident in the successful reception of the first two films, with audiences eagerly anticipating the continuation of their movie adventures.
