The Marvel Universe has seen nearly every character in its hallowed history make the jump from page to silver screen (or small screen for some characters.) But the ones who seem to struggle the most are the Fantastic Four. The two Fantastic Four movies by Tim Story are regarded as average. The less said about 2015’s Fantastic Four, the better. Now Marvel Studios is attempting to right the ship with The Fantastic Four: First Steps – but this Saturday at LA Comic Con, a different kind of Fantastic Four movie was up for discussion.
Ben Wan and Andrew Bush from the Superhero Stuff You Should Know Podcast held a special panel to celebrate the unreleased 1994 Fantastic Four movie, produced by Roger Corman. The film is the stuff of legend: although it was never officially released, it gained a cult following due to recorded tapes being circulated, and fans expressing a desire to see it released. There’s even a petition circulating to get Fantastic Four ’94 (my own personal title for the film) a theatrical release. If you want to know more, I definitely suggest watching Doomed! The Untold Story of Roger Corman’s Fantastic Four.
Joining Wan and Bush were Jay Underwood, who played Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four ’94; Glenn Garland, who was the film’s editor; and Craig Nevius, who co-wrote the screenplay. The panel kicked off with a taped introduction from Joseph Culp, who played Doctor Doom; after this, talk turned to whether or not the Fantastic Four was cursed on film. Personally I don’t believe it.
Nevius talked about his work on the screenplay, including utilizing a treatment from the late Stan Lee. “He told me to focus on the characters,” Nevius said. He did have to nix a plot point teasing a sequel and the appearance of the Silver Surfer, since the budget was limited and comic book movies weren’t the monolith they are today. There was also worry about how Fantastic Four ’94 would be, given the reception to Tim Burton’s Batman movies at the time, but the decision was made for the film to “not ashamed to be corny.”
Nevius, Garland, and Underwood discussed their favorite scenes from the film, including the wedding between Reed Richards and Sue Storm, and Ben Grimm saying his infamous catchphrase “It’s clobberin’ time!” Discussion also turned toward Corman, with Garland mentioning him as “equal parts businessman and filmmaker”; Nevius even told a story of how he was commissioned to write two different scripts based on random ideas Corman threw at him.
The panel wrapped up with a closing message from Fantastic Four ’94 director Oley Sassone, and Underwood reciting Johnny’s dying monologue from Fantastic Four #587 by Jonathan Hickman and Steve Epting. Whether Fantastic Four ’94 is released theatrically or not, it’s clear that 30 years later it still holds a place in the hearts of its cast and crew.
