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Fans still aren’t sure how this time will be any different, but the Fantastic Four is officially on its way back. Thanks to the successful Disney acquisition of Fox, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to get a lot more expansive. Yet, most fans expect a full-on reboot for the MCU Fantastic Four. So this latest move by Disney has left many confused.

Jamie Bell, Kate Mara, Michael B Jordan, and Miles Teller at the 'Fantastic Four' premiere
Jamie Bell, Kate Mara, Michael B Jordan, and Miles Teller at the ‘Fantastic Four’ premiere | Lars Niki/Corbis via Getty Images

The 2015 ‘Fantastic Four’ movie has just hit Disney+ for some reason

During Fox’s ownership of the Fantastic Four, the studio made three film adaptations. The first two — which co-star future MCU star Chris Evans — were box office hits, albeit amid some fan disappointment. But in 2015, director Josh Trank attempted to reboot the property.

That movie — which co-stars future MCU star Michael B. Jordan (we’re noticing a pattern here) — proved to be a crushing commercial and critical failure. Moreover, Fox and Trank clashed over his vision. So not even the filmmaker whose name the movie bears cares for it.

Why then did Disney+ just add the 2015 Fantastic Four to its library? Yes, technically, the company owns the movie outright now. But one might expect the MCU to start planting seeds for a new version of the team, not making old ones more accessible. In that case, where are the 2000s movies?

What does this mean for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Perhaps Disney+ has thus far only added the 2015 Fantastic Four due to licensing issues. After all, fans shouldn’t expect the Sony-produced Spider-Man movies to join the streaming service. Still, Trank’s release is the only non-MCU Marvel movie on Disney+. So it’s easy to want to read into it.

Had the movie not been such an unmitigated disaster, the MCU could have considered a “soft reboot” of what worked the first time. Alas, too little is salvageable in that Fantastic Four, minus its cast, to be worth the effort. So associating with it probably isn’t in Marvel’s best interest going forward.

The best way Fantastic Four could connect to the MCU is through the Marvel multiverse. Fans are speculating the MCU Phase 4 could reference or even feature cameos from past stars like Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man. Even if this is a long shot, it’s more likely than the MCU making a straight-up sequel to a movie few saw and fewer enjoyed.

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Marvel fans are very confused by the decision to add the movie

In the meantime, fans are very confused by the sudden addition of the 2015 Fantastic Four to their Disney+ accounts. “That last terrible Fantastic Four movie is on Disney+ & I’m watching it like it’s going to be better this time,” one viewer tweeted. Another tweeted a similar lack of enthusiasm: “‘The 2015 Fantastic Four movie is on Disney+? Awesome!’ Said no one ever.”

One major common theme is wondering why this version of the franchise was added. “That movie have [sic] 2 stars (2015), but the first movie have 3 stars so why don’t Disney just add the 2005 Fantastic Four?” one fan asked.

Likewise, one user tweeted, “Ew WHO added the 2015 Fantastic Four to Disney+??? Why are we claiming this??? Can you at least put the semi superior 00s version with Chris Evans up???”

Indeed, that seems to be the question of the moment for Marvel fans. Maybe Disney+ was just hurting for fresh content in the current pandemic. Still, it’s a weird move for the company. In any case, fans likely won’t have much longer to wait to find out how the MCU plans to tap into its newly acquired Fox Marvel characters.

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