Watch the Cast of the Unreleased 'Fantastic Four' Movie Take Their Place in Marvel History
The stars of Roger Corman's unreleased 1994 film reflect on what might have been during their cameos in Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Background of the 1994 Fantastic Four Film
Although the Roger Corman-produced Fantastic Four became somewhat of a Hollywood joke, the project was a heartfelt effort by the cast and crew dedicated to bringing the Marvel Comics-inspired story to the screen.
Tribute in Fantastic Four: First Steps
Marvel honored the legacy of its original superhero family by featuring the 1994 cast in cameo roles in this year’s Fantastic Four: First Steps. A recent featurette showcased the original actors reminiscing about their experience with Corman's film.
Insights from the Cast and Crew
Jay Underwood, who portrayed Johnny Storm, shared the pressure producer Bert Eichinger faced:
“He was going to lose the rights unless he went into production by a certain date. So he goes to Roger Corman and says, ‘Can you make this movie and make it right now and make it cheap?’ … We put together this million-dollar movie, which for Corman was actually probably a very big budget at the time. But certainly not a budget that you need for a movie like the Fantastic Four.”
Grant Curtis, MCU producer on First Steps, added praise for Corman’s work:
“[Corman] did a lot of things right in that movie … One of the things I think they did extremely well was the character relationships. And not every special effect on any movie holds up over time. But those were very real relationships that, when we did our homework and we looked at the movie early on, we took note [of].”
Legacy of the Unreleased Film
Despite its limited budget and lack of release, the 1994 Fantastic Four remains an important piece of Marvel history, celebrated for its character dynamics and the dedication of its cast and crew.
Summary: The unreleased 1994 Fantastic Four film, a heartfelt yet low-budget effort, is honored in Marvel’s First Steps for its strong character connections and the cast’s dedication.