Michael Chiklis recently defended the original Fantastic Four movies from the critics who panned them at the time of their release.
Long before their MCU debut, the First Family made their first cinematic appearance in the 2005 film produced by 20th Century Fox. Despite being beloved by some fans and spawning a sequel years later, it still lacks a favorable reputation among critics, who consider it to be strongly inferior to the recent Marvel Studios movie.
What Does Michael Chiklis Think of the Critics' Reaction to His Fantastic Four Movies?
Speaking with Collider, Chiklis, who played Ben Grimm/The Thing, expressed his belief that the Fantastic Four movies that he starred in were "underrated" and that critics "got it wrong" at the time of their release.
"There were a lot of people, I think, critically who got it wrong. They really maligned our films, and they were very underrated considering..." he said.
"They were very loved by the audience. It was one of those cases where critics weren’t great to those films, but the audience was, and that still remains."
Chiklis acknowledged that the movies have become more appreciated by fans throughout the years since they were released. While he knew that they were "imperfect," they were still appealing to the family audience.
"And now all these years later, people are sort of acknowledging like, hey, these films are family-friendly, fun movies. They got a lot right. They may be imperfect, but they’re really good movies," he added.
What Does Michael Chiklis Think of The Fantastic Four: First Steps?
So far, Chiklis has not watched The Fantastic Four: First Steps yet. However, he is hopeful that the film turned out great (to which, as we all know, is indeed the case since it is an audience, critical, and box office favorite).
He also gave special praise to Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who plays Ben Grimm/The Thing in the new MCU version.
"I had a great experience doing them, and I just hope that it kills. And it seems like it’s doing really well. And by the way, I really like Ebon Moss-Bachrach. He’s a terrific actor, so I’m really looking forward to see what he does with the Thing," Chiklis said.
With the MCU still in the Multiverse Saga, it remains to be seen whether the original Fantastic Four cast will reunite again soon and crossover with the MCU version.
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