Watch the Cast of the Unreleased 'Fantastic Four' Movie Reflect on Marvel History
The cast of Roger Corman's unreleased 1994 Fantastic Four film shares their memories as they appear in the recent tribute, Fantastic Four: First Steps. Though the Corman-produced movie never saw official release and became a Hollywood joke, it was a passionate project for those involved.
Honoring Marvel's First Family
Marvel included the original 1994 cast in cameo roles for the new Fantastic Four: First Steps as part of celebrating the franchise's origins. A recent featurette shows the actors reflecting on their time working on the Corman production.
Challenges During Production
Jay Underwood, who portrayed Johnny Storm, recalled the urgency producer Bert Eichinger faced. He explained:
“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.”
Production and Character Relationships
Grant Curtis, producer on First Steps, praised the original film's strengths, emphasizing:
“[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.”
The reflections highlight the blend of constraint and care that shaped the unreleased film, underscoring its unique place in Marvel history.
Author's summary: The unreleased 1994 Fantastic Four film remains a cherished yet unfinished chapter, with its cast and creatives honored for their heartfelt contributions to Marvel's legacy.