Not including the unreleased 1994 Fantastic Four film; Marvel’s First Family had their cinematic debut in 2005, with a sequel released in 2007. FOX took a good look at the Sam Raimi Spider-Man success and decided they can do more than just X-Men films. 

Well, critics and fans didn’t agree with their execution. While the first F4 film brought in 333.5 million dollars in the box office, it only scored 27% on Rotten Tomatoes, with fans not liking it much more with a 45% score. So then we had a sequel, bringing newcomers like Galactus (not really) and the Silver Surfer. Reviews for that movie were slightly better, but with a box office of 301.9 million, FOX decided to wave the white flag and ended that franchise. 

First things first, let’s see what they got right. The Fantastic Four are more than just superheroes who live under the same roof. They are a close-knit family that has average family problems and virtues. What makes them so interesting, is that this family is always put in otherworldly situations. So in terms of feeling like a family, this cast did that pretty well, along with playing their characters decently. 

Before Chris Evans had a shield, he pulled off a charming and hilarious Johnny Storm. Ioan Gruffudd did a solid job as Reed Richards. Not only did he play him well, but he also looked precisely like Mr. Fantastic from the comics. Then there’s Michael Chiklis, who honestly knocked the role out of the park. He provided a top-notch, grizzly voice, and gave his Ben Grimm heart and soul. Other than being pretty short for The Thing, he was the best one of the cast. Jessica Alba was passable, but out of the four, she is the most forgettable. 

Other than that, both movies had some great comedic parts, as well as some downright impressive CGI and effects for its time. That Thing suit, while incredibly uncomfortable for the actor, was tremendous. 

Unfortunately, that’s where the positives come to a halt. Neither of the F4 films had any weighty substance. In the comics, the F4 are explorers first, superheroes second. However, neither of the films made that a priority in their stories. Also, Doctor Doom is supposed to be a terrifying, brilliant ruler of his own country. This Doctor Doom (Julian McMahon) was nothing more than an irritating businessman with a few metal scars here and there. So, they completely flopped on the villain end for both films. 

Overall, both Fantastic Four and its sequel were simply decent, popcorn flicks. If you hate both of them, it’s not preposterous at all. However, you have to admit you had a good laugh at least a few times for either of the F4 films. That’s more you can say about the 2015 Fantastic Four reboot, which made me shiver just typing those words. Hopefully, Kevin Feige and his bountiful MCU world can give respect and love the F4 deserve. 

Let’s be real… It’s not like they have a high bar to clear in the first place. 

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Earlier today, EA released the first trailer for Star Wars: Squadrons, the latest video game set in a Galaxy Far, Far Away. Developed by Motive Studios, it’s going to be released on the current generation of consoles this October, and will reported be a first-person flying game (though it’s hard to imagine it not being possible to fly from a third-person perspective as well). 

Gameplay is going to be revealed during EA Play Live on June 18th, and Ian Frazier, Motive’s Creative Director, has hyped Star Wars: Squadron in a press release accompanied by new screenshots.

“We created this game for every Star Wars fan who has ever dreamt about soaring across the galaxy in their favorite starfighter,” he says. “Through the collaboration of the teams at Motive and Lucasfilm, we’ve been able to create a high-fidelity starfighter experience with an authentic storyline that invites Star Wars fans to explore never-before-seen corners of the galaxy in their own ship. We’re excited to show all this in action this week at EA Play Live.”

In the images below, we see things from the perspectives of both the Rebels and Empire, and speculation is already running rampant that we’ll be able to play on both sides (thereby doubling the length of the campaign). Time will tell on that front, but it definitely looks like it should be a fun time. 

Check out these Star Wars: Squadrons screenshots below:
 

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The Suicide Squad director James Gunn held an impromptu Instagram Q&A this weekend, and among the questions he was asked by fans was which cast members ended up stealing the show with unscripted lines. It’s widely known that the filmmaker allows improvisation on his sets, but the names he singled out were both expected and surprising.

John Cena, Pete Davidson, and Flula Borg were all mentioned by Gunn, and while Davidson isn’t surprising given his comedy background, Cena stealing the show in this way is a shocker.

The former WWE wrestler has received mixed reviews for his acting roles thus far, but Gunn has clearly drawn a surprising performance from him (just as he did with Dave Bautista in Guardians of the Galaxy). The trio’s roles have still only been rumored, and are not confirmed. 

As for Davidson, he revealed in a recent interview to promote King of Staten Island that, “I was in a big, uncomfortable costume. I think that would be a big difference. I got to hold Glocks and stuff like that.” That will be quite the departure for the actor, but definitely something to talk about! 

More details, and possibly footage, from The Suicide Squad are expected to be revealed later this summer.

Click HERE for more The Suicide Squad news from CBM!

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The Batman films of the 1990s hurt the Caped Crusader’s brand in a big way, and it was Batman & Robin which served as the final nail in the franchise’s coffin. In the years that followed, multiple filmmakers attempted to bring the character back to the big screen, but it was ultimately Christopher Nolan’s vision of a grounded reboot which Warner Bros. decided to move forward with. Written by Nolan and David S. Goyer, the movie debuted in theaters on June 15th, 2005…that’s right, it’s been fifteen years since Christian Bale first donned the cape and cowl! 

With a lengthy origin story delving into Bruce Wayne’s relationship with Ra’s al Ghul, Batman Begins put the spotlight on the hero’s battle with both him and the Scarecrow. Grounded heavily in reality, Nolan managed to bring the DC Comics character into our world, and delivered a version of Batman it was easy to imagine actually existing. That wasn’t to everyone’s liking, but it set the iconic superhero on a completely new path on the silver screen that ultimately gave us The Dark Knight Trilogy. Nolan (alongside an unmissable Heath Ledger) would exceed all expectations with The Dark Knight, and while The Dark Knight Rises proved to be a divisive finale, Nolan did what no other filmmaker had before him: he ended Batman’s story. 

As for Batman Begins, it grossed over $48 million during its opening weekend in North America, and eventually grossed over $371 million worldwide. That may seem like nothing by today’s standards, but we’re talking about a character who had become box office poison by this point, and don’t forget that The Dark Knight would go on to break records by grossing over $1 billion in 2008! 

Exploring how Bruce became one of the world’s most formidable fighters and the creation of everything from his Batsuit to the Batmobile (known as the “Tumbler” in this franchise) proved to be fascinating, and led to an exploration of the character like never before. It was a little rough around the edges in places, but critics and fans alike loved what Nolan brought to the table here. 

Funnily enough, yesterday marked the seven-year anniversary of Man of Steel‘s theatrical debut. That was meant to be Superman’s version of Batman Begins, but didn’t quite manage to hit the mark the same way Nolan did (despite the trailers being edited in a way that evoked memories of that filmmaker’s work). There were even rumours for a time that Bale’s Batman would be the one fighting Henry Cavill’s Superman in the movie that would become known as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but this trilogy ended in 2012, and Batman Begins proved to be the perfect opening chapter. 

We’re just really glad Nolan managed to make it so Batman could turn his head in the sequel…

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Wonder Woman 1984 was recently delayed again, and it’s now set to arrive in theaters this October. It’s no secret at this point that Kristen Wiig’s timid Barbara Minerva transforms into Cheetah, and that villain has so far been spotted in promo art, action figures, and even LEGO! 

What we haven’t seen is a live-action shot of the character, but that’s finally come our way in an (admittedly slightly distorted) image adorning the cover of an upcoming sticker pack for the sequel. 

She looks pretty much as expected, but perhaps not as fearsome or animalistic as many fans hoped. It’s certainly going to be interesting to see Cheetah in action, something we’re anticipating being revealed in an upcoming trailer for Wonder Woman 1984. After all, it seems redundant at this point to save that reveal for the movie itself as we’ve already seen so much of Cheetah.

Wonder Woman 1984‘s move from August to October is a definitive sign that it won’t be coming out on Digital platforms, so the countdown is now on to when we’ll get to see the Amazon Warrior’s return.

Check out this Cheetah image below:
 

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