Fantastic Four: First Steps Learned from 1994 Roger Corman Movie
Disney took inspiration from Marvel’s First Family for the release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps earlier this year. Fans were eager to see the Fantastic Four done justice, unlike previous adaptations featuring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the iconic team.
Earlier Fantastic Four films struggled to capture the essence of the original comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The 2015 movie adopted a dark, body horror style. The 2005 and 2007 films included some humor but lacked the grandeur and spirit of the comics. Meanwhile, the 1994 Fantastic Four film produced by Roger Corman never saw a release.
Influence of the 1994 Film on the New Adaptation
Interestingly, the low-budget 1994 project served as a guide for the producers of First Steps. Producer Grant Curtis shared insights in a recent Marvel featurette:
“They did a lot of things right in that movie. One of the things I think they did extremely well was the character relationships. It holds up… Those were very real relationships that, when we did our homework and looked at the movie early on, we took note.”
The 1994 Fantastic Four remains a unique piece of superhero film history, proving valuable lessons even from its unrealized potential.
Summary
This year’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps benefited from the overlooked strengths of the 1994 Roger Corman film, especially its authentic portrayal of character dynamics.