The Thing Actor Michael Chiklis Says Critics Got 2005's Fantastic Four and Its Sequel Rise of the Silver Surfer Wrong: 'They Really Maligned Our Films'

The merchandise of The Fantastic Four: First Steps has brought Marvel’s archetypal household into the MCU, but it has besides sparked a reappraisal of 2005’s Fantastic Four movie and its sequel, Rise of the Silver Surfer.

That’s according to Michael Chiklis, who played The Thing 20 years agone successful some movies. Speaking to Collider, Chiklis said critics got some movies wrong, and pointed to the assemblage reception and the wealth the movies made collectively astatine the container bureau arsenic grounds that they “got a batch right.”

“There were a batch of people, I think, critically who got it wrong,” helium said. “They truly maligned our films, and they were precise underrated considering… they were precise loved by the audience. It was 1 of those cases wherever critics weren’t large to those films, but the assemblage was, and that inactive remains.”

2005’s Fantastic Four (which stars a young Chris Evans arsenic the Human Torch earlier helium would spell connected to play Captain America successful the MCU), has a 28% standing connected Rotten Tomatoes’ ‘Tomatometer,’ which means 28% of critics gave Fantastic Four a affirmative review.

That’s the corporate reception from critics, but what astir the assemblage score? That’s 45%, according to Rotten Tomatoes’ ‘Popcornmeter.’ What does that mean, exactly? 45% of users rated Fantastic Four 3.5 stars oregon higher. Rise of the Silver Surfer fared better, with a 37% Tomatometer rating, and a 51% Popcornmeter.

According to Chiklis, the caller merchandise of the MCU Phase Six kickstarter The Fantastic Four: First Steps has yet caused radical to admit some movies were “really good.”

“I’ve ever benignant of softly gone like, okay, accidental what you privation to say, but the radical spot it,” helium said. “And present each these years later, radical are benignant of acknowledging like, hey, these films are family-friendly, amusive movies… they got a batch right. They whitethorn beryllium imperfect, but they’re truly bully movies.”

And past there’s the container bureau for the movies. “We made 3 quarters of $1 billion, those 2 movies,” Chiklis said. “So, you know, each those radical can’t beryllium wholly retired of their minds, you cognize what I mean?”

According to Box Office Mojo, Fantastic Four grossed $333,535,934 astatine the planetary container bureau during its theatrical run, whereas Rise of the Silver Surfer made $301,913,131.

Ioan Gruffudd, who starred alongside Chiklis arsenic Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic, precocious told Vulture they primitively planned to marque 3 Fantastic Four films, but the trilogy program was ditched.

“The mindset was that we were going to bash three, and I deliberation the 2nd movie was arsenic palmy arsenic the archetypal and arsenic enjoyable for the fans," Gruffudd said.

“I peculiarly loved moving with Doug Jones [as the Silver Surfer] connected that movie, who’s conscionable a terrific creator and an adept successful the tract of movement. If you privation to witnesser idiosyncratic bringing a quality to beingness physically, he’s conscionable untouchable. So determination was decidedly that benignant of momentum, and the program was to bash 3 movies, but these decisions are beyond my control.”

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is nether a container bureau scrutiny of its own, contempt already outperforming each different Fantastic Four movie with $434.2 cardinal globally. After starting strong, play 2 and 3 person seen crisp declines, to the constituent present wherever First Steps is improbable to bushed DCU kickstarter Superman. The question is, volition Marvel Studios spot it arsenic a container bureau disappointment up of adjacent year’s Avengers: Doomsday?

Photo by Chris Polk/FilmMagic.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].