Chiklis Believes Original Fantastic Four Deserved Third Film

The Thing actor says the Tim Story-directed movies earned enough to warrant a sequel.

Apr. 4, 2026 at 10:20pm

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Michael Chiklis, who played The Thing in the original 2005 and 2007 Fantastic Four films, believes the cast and crew deserved a third installment despite the 2015 reboot's failure. While the first two movies were not perfect, Chiklis says they were successful at the box office, earning over $600 million combined. He expressed disappointment that plans for a third film were abandoned in favor of the poorly received 2015 reboot.

Why it matters

The original Fantastic Four films, while not critically acclaimed, found commercial success and built a fanbase. Chiklis' comments highlight how the creative team behind those movies felt they had more stories to tell with the characters, which could have provided closure for their take on Marvel's first family.

The details

Chiklis revealed his thoughts on the Fantastic Four franchise during a panel at C2E2. He said the first two films, Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), made over $600 million combined at the box office, and he believed they deserved a third installment. However, 20th Century Fox opted to reboot the franchise in 2015 instead, which was a critical and commercial failure. Chiklis has no ill will toward the new Fantastic Four cast, but he wished he and the original team had the chance to complete their trilogy.

  • The original Fantastic Four films were released in 2005 and 2007.
  • The 2015 Fantastic Four reboot was a critical and commercial failure.
  • Marvel's Fantastic Four: First Steps premiered in theaters in 2025.

The players

Michael Chiklis

The actor who portrayed The Thing in the original Fantastic Four films from 2005 and 2007.

Fantastic Four

Marvel's first family of superheroes, who were the subject of two film adaptations in the 2000s and a recent reboot in 2025.

20th Century Fox

The studio that produced the original Fantastic Four films and the 2015 reboot before being acquired by Disney.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach

The actor who portrayed The Thing in the 2025 film Fantastic Four: First Steps.

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What they’re saying

“Quite honestly, I don't know what happened after the second one. I didn't hear from anybody for the longest time. It is what it is, but those movies, correct me if I'm wrong, but they made three quarters of a billion dollars.”

— Michael Chiklis, Actor

“I just feel strongly that we all really put in a great effort on those first two films, and I stand by them. I don't have any animus towards any of the new incarnations of the Thing or the Fantastic Four. But if I do have something that sticks in my side, it is that we were supposed to do a third one, and we didn't get to do that. And it was never made clear to us why.”

— Michael Chiklis, Actor

What’s next

With Marvel Studios now in control of the Fantastic Four film rights, fans can look forward to seeing the superhero team integrated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the coming years.

The takeaway

While the original Fantastic Four films were not perfect, they found commercial success and built a fanbase. Chiklis' comments highlight how the creative team behind those movies felt they had more stories to tell, which could have provided closure for their take on Marvel's first family.