Summary
- Mid-2000s Fantastic Four scenes show outdated storytelling, questionable humor, and missed narrative opportunities for Marvel’s First Family.
- Certain moments in the films, such as Johnny Storm’s seduction, Sue Storm’s unnecessary strip, and the action figure gag, feel awkward and unconnected.
- From unexplained power shifts to underwhelming battles and odd storytelling choices, the 2000s Fantastic Four movies fall short of MCU standards.
The 2000s Fantastic Four movies brought Marvel’s first superhero team together on the big screen, but some scenes have not stood the test of time. 2005’s Fantastic Four and 2017’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. While they were fun and entertaining at the time, certain scenes have not aged well. What was once accepted as blockbuster material is now often viewed as outdated or cringeworthy.
Produced by 20th Century Fox, the initial Fantastic Four duology were certainly products of their time, filled with the quirks and trends of early superhero cinema. While they introduced audiences to Marvel’s First Family, many scenes have not aged well, reflecting outdated storytelling techniques, questionable humor, and missed opportunities for more compelling narratives. With the MCU’s Fantastic Four: First Steps in 2025, Marvel can redeem the Fantastic Four’s cinematic legacy when the team finally join the MCU timeline.
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10 The Invisible Woman Strips
Fantastic Four (2005)
One of the most unnecessary and gratuitous scenes in Fantastic Four involves Sue Storm, played by Jessica Alba, stripping down to her underwear to become invisible. The scene occurs during the bridge rescue. Sue, in an attempt to sneak by the police unseen, strips down to her bra and underwear. However, once Sue is naked, Johnny Storm and Reed Richards simply stroll past the officers.
This sequence in Fantastic Four doesn’t contribute to the story or character development. Considering how wholly unnecessary it clearly was, it feels like an excuse to objectify Alba. This wasn’t the only time the filmmakers employed this tactic – Sue strips or partially undresses multiple times for flimsy reasons. In a superhero movie aimed at a broad audience, including young viewers, these scenes feel out of place and reflect a period in filmmaking where female characters were often sexualized to appeal to male audiences.
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9 Victor Is Dropped By His Investors
Fantastic Four (2005)
In Fantastic Four, Victor Von Doom, portrayed by Julian McMahon, experiences a career setback when his investors back out of Von Doom Industries. In hindsight, this scene is a poor imitation of a similar scene in Spider-Man (2002), where Norman Osborn is ousted by his company’s board. However, in Fantastic Four, the scene is confusingly vague and lacks the dramatic impact of its Spider-Man counterpart.
Doom’s investors backing out feels clumsy and poorly justified in Fantastic Four. The scene fails to build the necessary tension or sympathy for Victor, making his transformation into Doctor Doom less compelling. Moreover, it’s incredibly vague precisely what is happening in the scene, with Doom’s reaction carrying the narrative while the other characters only allude to leaving him. In contrast, Norman Osborn’s ousting was a well-executed moment that highlighted his descent into madness. The Fantastic Four version comes off as a pale imitation.
8 The Bathroom Montage
Fantastic Four (2005)
After the Fantastic Four first gain their powers, there’s a fun montage of them experimenting with their new abilities, which fits well within the narrative. But almost immediately after that, the film cuts to another montage, this time showing the team dealing with their general lives, but inexplicably focusing on mundane bathroom activities – shaving, using the toilet, and showering.
This bathroom montage adds nothing to the story and feels like an unnecessary attempt at humor that falls flat. It disrupts the pacing of the film and serves as filler that could have been better used to explore the characters or advance the plot. Watching superheroes go through ordinary bathroom routines does little to endear them to the audience and, instead, feels like a waste of screen time. The scene epitomizes the mid-2000s trend of inserting unnecessary montages, even when they didn’t serve the story.
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7 Johnny Storm Seduces His Nurse
Fantastic Four (2005)
In one of Fantastic Four’s more awkward moments, Chris Evans’ Johnny Storm flirts with and seduces his nurse before taking her snowboarding. This scene is intended to showcase Johnny’s playboy personality, but this has already been firmly established, so it just comes off as more creepy and unnecessary than charming. The scene is a classic example of the lecherous behavior that was often portrayed as humorous in the 2000s but is now viewed as problematic.
The sequence in Fantastic Four adds nothing to the plot or Johnny’s character development and instead reinforces outdated gender dynamics where women are reduced to mere objects of desire for male characters. Today, this scene is more likely to elicit eye rolls than laughs, as it starkly contrasts with modern portrayals of respectful interactions, particularly when he kisses before she’s actually agreed to the date. Furthermore, the scene culminates in Chris Evans topless in a pool of water, another gratuitous excuse to ogle the cast in what is ostensibly a children’s movie.
6 The Thing Action Figure
Fantastic Four (2005)
In one of the more bizarre moments in Fantastic Four, Johnny Storm presents Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, with an action figure, designed by an unseen marketing team. This scene is perplexing for several reasons. First, this is the first and only mention of any marketing team, and it’s unclear how they were able to design and manufacture an action figure so quickly. Second, the scene is another example of unnecessary padding that doesn’t contribute to the narrative.
The action figure plot point in Fantastic Four feels shoehorned in, perhaps as a means to sell merchandise or establish the Thing’s famed catchphrase – “It’s clobberin’ time!” The scene could have been an opportunity to explore Ben’s feelings about his new identity and the public’s perception of him. However, instead it’s reduced to a trivial gag that adds little to the narrative.
5 Defeating Doctor Doom
Fantastic Four (2005)
The final battle against Doctor Doom, the Fantastic Four’s primary antagonist, is meant to be the climactic showdown of Fantastic Four. However, it ends up being one of the most anticlimactic moments in the movie. After a build-up to what should be an epic battle, the fight culminates in the Human Torch heating Doom and then the team dousing him with water.
This conclusion feels underwhelming, especially considering Doom’s status as one of Marvel’s most formidable villains. Instead of a thrilling and intense battle, the movie proffered a poorly choreographed sequence that ends in a lackluster fashion. The use of water to defeat Doom obscures the action, making it difficult to see what’s happening on screen, and ultimately diminishes the impact of the final showdown. It feels like a truly wasted opportunity for a dramatic final fight.
4 Silver Surfer’s Stomach Story
Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer introduces one of Marvel’s most iconic characters, the Silver Surfer. However, the film features a strange moment where the Silver Surfer projects images onto his own stomach to explain his backstory to Sue Storm. The visuals, while intended to be otherworldly, come off as awkward and out of place.
This scene in Rise of the Silver Surfer is reminiscent of the Teletubbies, where characters would display images on their bellies – a comparison that does little to enhance the gravitas of the Silver Surfer. The decision to present his tragic and complex story in such a peculiar way diminishes the impact of the scene. It feels like a gimmick rather than a meaningful narrative device, and in hindsight, it’s hard to take seriously.
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3 The London Eye Scene
Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer
One of the more puzzling sequences in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer involves the Fantastic Four saving the London Eye, the iconic Ferris wheel, from disaster. While the Silver Surfer is wreaking havoc elsewhere, the team spends an extended amount of time fixing the London Eye, a moment that feels like unnecessary filler. This scene does little to advance the plot and serves as a distraction from the film’s central conflict.
The focus on saving the London Eye, while visually impressive, detracts from the more pressing narrative of stopping the Silver Surfer and the impending threat of Galactus. The London Eye sequence feels like a forced attempt to showcase the team’s heroism in a scenario that ultimately has no bearing on the overall story. It’s a prime example of how the Fantastic Four films opted for spectacle without considering its relevance to the plot.
2 Human Torch Absorbs The Team’s Powers
Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer
Throughout Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Johnny Storm’s powers are unstable, causing him to swap abilities with whoever he touches. However, in the final battle, Johnny suddenly gains the ability to absorb the powers of his teammates without swapping, a development that is never properly explained. This sudden change in Johnny’s powers feels like a convenient plot device rather than a logical progression.
Rise of the Silver Surfer fails to provide any reasoning or explanation for why Johnny can now absorb powers instead of swapping them, questioning the consistency of the movie’s internal logic. This moment undermines the stakes of the final battle, as it feels like the filmmakers bent the rules of their own universe to achieve a desired outcome. In retrospect, it’s a glaring example of poor storytelling that doesn’t hold up under scrutiny.
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1 Galactus Starts Destroying Earth
Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer
One of the most disappointing aspects of Rise of the Silver Surfer is the depiction of Galactus, one of Marvel’s most fearsome villains. In the comics, Galactus is a colossal being with a humanoid form, capable of consuming entire planets. However, in the film, Galactus is reduced to a giant, swirling cloud, devoid of any personality or physical presence.
When Galactus begins to destroy Earth, the scene is meant to convey a sense of impending doom, but instead, it feels anticlimactic. The decision to portray Galactus as a cloud rather than a tangible villain robs the film of any real tension or menace. The lack of a physical adversary makes it difficult for the audience to feel the gravity of the threat, and the scene ultimately falls flat. In hindsight, this portrayal of Galactus is widely regarded as one the Fantastic Four movies’ biggest missteps.
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Fantastic Four (2005)
Fantastic Four (2005) follows the story of four astronauts who gain extraordinary abilities after being exposed to cosmic radiation. Ioan Gruffudd stars as Reed Richards, who becomes Mr. Fantastic, alongside Jessica Alba as Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman, Chris Evans as Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, and Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm, the Thing. Together, they must learn to harness their new powers to thwart the plans of the nefarious Dr. Doom.
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Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is the only sequel to Tim Story’s 2005 introduction of Marvel’s First Family. Starring Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards, Jessica Alba as Sue Storm, Chris Evans as the Human Torch, and Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm a.k.a. The Thing, the 2007 superhero film marks the Silver Surfer’s live-action debut with Doug Jones portraying his motion capture and Laurence Fishburne providing his voice. The sequel also features Julian McMahon’s return as Doctor Doom and Galactus first big-screen appearance.
