The Fantasy Review’s list of every live-action Fantastic Four movie ranked, from worst to best. And no, this does not include the 1994 movie – I refuse to believe it exists.
#4 – Fantastic Four (2015)
By far the worst Fantastic Four movie has to be the 2015 reboot. The only positive is the casting. The cast is fantastic, and play their characters well – it is everything else that is wrong with this movie.
The tone is way too dark, with the movie being so literally dark you can barely see anything anyway. Not that there’s much to miss.
The plot is a weird, convoluted, depressing tale that makes no sense if you think about it for more than a minute. They would have been better off making a third movie for the 00s series.
#3 – Fantastic Four (2005)
Check out our Review of Fantastic Four (2005).
I watched the 2005 Fantastic Four movie a lot as a kid. It is one of those nostalgic movies I think back to fondly.
I should not have rewatched it!
As it turns out, the 2005 movie is a decent introduction to the main characters, but achieves little else.
The plot is standard and dull. The villain isn’t really that threatening. Some of the character decisions make no sense other than, “the plot needs this, so I’m doing it”….
It’s a fun watch, I suppose, but it was better when I was 10.
#2 – Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
This might be an unpopular opinion, I don’t know, but Rise of the Silver Surfer (the direct sequel to the 2005 Fantastic Four) is actually a decent movie!
Yes, the Silver Surfer himself was wasted a little, being given a slow, tedious storyline, but it’s the character work of the main cast I enjoyed the most – especially Johnny.
In a list of every Marvel movie ranked, this would still probably be near the bottom, but for a ranking of every Fantastic Four movie, this is one of the best. These characters haven’t had a lot of success in the movies…
#1 – The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)
Check out our Review of The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025).
And here we have the only Fantastic Four movie you could call good and not get laughed at for. Marvel Studios take the MCU back to a furturistic 60’s setting and create one of the most visually beautiful comic book movies of all time.
There is a strong focus on family and human connection, rather than endless, pointless action sequences we are all bored of. It isn’t a perfect movie, of course, but it is emotionally engaging because the characters and the writing are top-notch.
