[spoilers]
Chris Evans might have made a name for himself with his work as Captain America in the MCU, but the actor made his superhero debut as The Human Torch in the fondly remembered 2005’s Fantastic Four. While the film might not have been a critical or commercial success, a slew of fans began their journey into superhero cinema with the film and its sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.
Even though the film was made way back in 2005 when CGI was still finding its footing in the industry, and with a budget nowhere close to what a summer blockbuster would require today, Fantastic Four was able to deliver one of the most iconic superhero transformation scenes with Chris Evans’ Johnny Storm, one that fans are sure still holds up today.
The Human Torch from Fantastic Four looks just as good today as it did twenty years ago
Even after almost two decades, Fantastic Four has managed to create a Human Torch that remains unparalleled (despite there being only one other iteration of the character in love action).
Chris Evans‘ version of the character looked great. While it came out at a time when practical effects were still being favored over CGI (as was the case with The Thing), the character still holds up pretty well in a film that otherwise has a very dated look to it, especially when audiences look at the CGI used for Sue Storm and Reed Richards.
As the MCU heads towards The Fantastic Four: First Steps, fans are expecting that the Fantastic Four teams of the past, especially the 2005 version starring Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Ioan Gruffud, and Michael Chilklis make an appearance in the franchise in a significant capacity, and not just as a gag in another film.
So far, members of the Fantastic Four that have appeared in the franchise have got a very lukewarm welcome, being depicted as less than what they actually are. However, First Steps might be able to change that, and even introduce a Council of Reeds into the MCU, bringing back John Krasinksi, Miles Teller, Ioan Grffud and even Alex Hyde-While if they are inclined to do so.
Does Johnny Storm’s return to Deadpool & Wolverine mean anything for 2005’s Fantastic Four?
One of the more surprising cameos of Deadpool & Wolverine had Chris Evans reprising his role as Johnny Storm, after a misdirection that was intended to make fans believe that he was playing a variant of Captain America in the film.
However, given that Johnny was slain by Cassandra Nova in the film, marks the second time a Fantastic Four character was brought into the MCU only to be killed off a few minutes later. While this is not necessarily the exact same Johnny Storm as the one from the two films that we know, it still has hurt some fans with how the character was treated.
While the MCU is hard at work to set up its multiverse with its own X-Men and Fantastic Four universes, fans have begun to expect Marvel Legacy characters to pop up in the universe in a more serious capacity, just as The Others did in Deadpool & Wolverine.
Deadpool & Wolverine is currently in theatres.
Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer can be streamed on Disney+
