The early 2000s Fantastic Four films continue facing criticism, yet Michael Chiklis remains an unwavering advocate for their legacy. The accomplished actor, who brought Ben Grimm/The Thing to life in 2005's Fantastic Four and 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, maintains that professional reviewers fundamentally misunderstood these superhero adventures.
Despite achieving respectable theatrical earnings, both productions have endured persistent reputations as subpar comic book adaptations. However, with Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps generating renewed franchise excitement, contemporary audiences are rediscovering and occasionally championing the previous iterations.
In conversation with Collider, Chiklis reflected on his franchise experience while challenging prevailing critical sentiment.
"Numerous critics, I believe, completely misjudged our work. They severely criticized these films, which were significantly undervalued considering their strong audience reception."
He elaborated further:
"This represented one of those situations where professional critics responded unfavorably, yet audiences embraced them enthusiastically—and that appreciation persists. I've consistently maintained a quiet confidence, thinking, 'Express whatever opinions you prefer, but audiences recognize quality.'
"Years later, people are finally acknowledging these films as family-oriented, entertaining productions that achieved considerable success. They might contain imperfections, but they're genuinely solid movies."
Chiklis accurately identifies the critical-audience disconnect. Fantastic Four maintains a 28% Rotten Tomatoes score, while Rise of the Silver Surfer achieved 37%. Nevertheless, both productions demonstrated strong commercial performance.
"Our two films generated nearly three-quarters of $1 billion globally. Clearly, that massive audience can't be entirely mistaken, correct?"
Combined, these productions earned $635.4 million worldwide. Despite this financial success, 20th Century Fox abandoned plans for a third installment, instead shelving the franchise until 2015's catastrophic Fantastic Four reboot, which managed only $167.9 million globally.
Recently, Ioan Gruffudd, who portrayed Mister Fantastic, reminisced about their unrealized third chapter.
"Our expectation involved creating a trilogy, and the second film matched the first's commercial success and fan enjoyment.
"I especially appreciated collaborating with Doug Jones [as Silver Surfer], an exceptional artist and movement specialist."
Gruffudd continued:
"To observe someone physically embodying a character, he's simply unparalleled. We definitely maintained that creative momentum, planning three films, but such decisions exceeded my influence."
Nearly twenty years since the original Fantastic Four's theatrical debut, while the MCU's upcoming interpretation promises fresh perspectives, Chiklis' passionate defense demonstrates these earlier films retain meaningful places within fans' affections for their accessible, wonderfully earnest superhero storytelling.