Chris Evans Was the Best Part of the Fantastic Four Movies

The Big Picture

• Cinematic adaptations of the Fantastic Four have consistently failed on a grand scale, with both financial and critical disappointment.
• Chris Evans delivers a standout performance as Johnny Storm, capturing the essence of the character and elevating the lackluster films.
• Evans understood the nuances of Johnny’s personality, showcasing a natural hothead with genuine empathy, and his role in the films improved over time.

Are all live-action adaptations of Marvel’s Fantastic Four doomed to fail? The recent announcement of the new cast for the MCU’s first go at the Marvel all-stars seems incredibly promising, with Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach taking on the four lead roles. Before this, though, the iconic characters have stumbled on the big screen to largely underwhelming results.

1994’s The Fantastic Four wasn’t even released theatrically due to the complex financial situation that Roger Corman created, and 2015’s Fant4stic was a botched production from the very beginning that landed Josh Trank in director’s jail and failed to launch a franchise. John Krasinski’s cameo as Mr. Fantastic in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was more confusing than entertaining. The idea that the duo of films from director Tim Story are the closest this series has ever gotten to being considered a success is damning praise, as both films failed both critically and financially. However, it’s impossible to rewatch them and not admit that Chris Evans is clearly the best part.

Chris Evans Knew What 2005’s ‘Fantastic Four’ Needed

Evans’ performance as Johnny Storm (aka the Human Torch) can’t just be dismissed as simply “the best part of bad movies,” as he’s legitimately great, and completely nails every element of the character that has made him one of Stan Lee’s most beloved. While Evans’ co-stars Ioan Gruffudd, Michael Chiklis, and Jessica Alba all do their best considering the circumstances, Evans transcends the limitations of the script to turn in a performance that is genuinely worth seeing again. It’s almost baffling to see how comically absurd Evans is in Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer, considering how straight-laced and by-the-book his depiction of teh MCU’s Steve Rogers ended up being.

Evans is hardly the only great actor to play Storm, but while Michael B. Jordan failed to capture Johnny’s unique personality in Fant4stic, Evans seemed like he understood the direction that the films should take better than any of the creative team involved. While he’s not afraid to do some wacky bits of physical comedy, Evans’ version of Johnny seemed to be the only member of the “first family” that actually embraces being a superhero. Part of the reason that the MCU has been so successful is that the characters feel like people we want to hang out with, and Evans captured similar magic in films that were lackluster. It’s no wonder that he managed to stay on Kevin Feige’s radar. If there’s any performance that deserves to have a cameo within the Multiverse, it’s Evans.

Chris Evans’ Johnny Storm Loves the Spotlight

While Evans is now one of the biggest stars in the world, his track record up until the first Fantastic Four was not particularly impressive. He certainly showed some comedic chops in Not Another Teen Movie and The Perfect Score, but it was relatively nothing compared to the accolades that Gruffudd, Chiklis, and Alba had been showered with. Chiklis created one of the most iconic television anti-heroes on The Shield, Alba was a bonafide box office draw, and Gruffudd had received praise for his work in many period dramas. However, their depictions of the Fantastic Four felt odd. Chiklis looks completely ridiculous in the absurd makeup and Gruffudd seems uncomfortable delivering such corny dialogue, to name a few of the glaring problems.

However, Evans understood what made Johnny click in the Fantastic Four movies. He’s a natural hothead who takes risks for the thrill of it, but he also shows the consequences of his carefree attitude. Johnny’s behavior frequently gets the team into unfortunate scenarios, as his love of the media attention draws unwarranted attention to his fellow superheroes, who are still insecure about their powers. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean he couldn’t show genuine empathy in the more serious moments. He’s truly embarrassed and traumatized by his experiences fighting the Silver Surfer (voiced by Laurence Fishburne), and shows more reluctance to crime fighting afterward. His simple delivery of the line “Dad would be proud” to Sue during their wedding speaks volumes about their relationship.

If there’s any interpersonal dynamic within the team that actually improves over the course of the series, it’s Johnny’s relationship with Ben Grimm. At first, they’re complete rivals, as they have completely different reactions to their powers. Ben has to break up with his fiancée and wants to rid himself of the responsibilities, but Johnny eats up the spotlight and publicly embarrasses Ben on television. Both characters actually learn from each other, though, with Johnny taking himself more seriously, and Ben feeling like he’s learned how to deliver a Johnny-esque one-liner with his iconic, “It’s clobberin’ time.” The sequel film, Rise of the Silver Surfer, is a significant improvement over its predecessor because Chiklis seemed to replicate the same carefree attitude that Evans was taking.

Chris Evans Is a Great Comedic Actor

Characters like Johnny are exactly what Evans is great at, as he has a great sense of humor that is wasted in more dour projects. The Gray Man’s lifeless self-seriousness did not utilize Evans’ strengths, but he showed real comedic sensibilities in Knives Out, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, and The Losers. Even though the Fantastic Four films rely on a lot of cheap gags, Evans has a few genuinely funny moments. His embarrassing inflammation in the first film and his power swap with Ben in Rise of the Silver Surfer feel like the only moments in which the films actually feel like they’re lifted from the comics. While his performance as Captain America got a little more humorous over time, it’s interesting to see what Evans looks like when he’s playing up the eccentricity.

In retrospect, neither Fantastic Four nor Rise of the Silver Surfer is as bad as they’re considered to be. Even though they’re corny to the point that it feels disrespectful to the source material, they aren’t trying to set up a broader universe, and they don’t have the melancholy tone of the DCEU. While it’s unlikely that the canceled third film would have been any better than the previous installments, perhaps a different filmmaker could have redeemed the series. The upcoming Marvel Studios adaptation will certainly examine the Fantastic Four films to see what they did wrong, but we can probably all agree that Evans’ casting is one of the few things they got right.

Fantastic Four is available to watch on Disney+ in the U.S.

Watch on Disney+