Michael Chiklis Defends "Fantastic Four" as Underappreciated Marvel Gem

Michael Chiklis, well known for portraying Ben Grimm or 'The Thing' in Marvel's "Fantastic Four" and its sequel "Rise of the Silver Surfer," has stepped forward defending the two movies as "underrated". In a conversation with Collider, Chiklis expressed his belief that critics had “got it wrong” when they originally dismissed the films upon their release. The actor argued, “They really maligned our films, and they were underrated… 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.”

Added Chiklis, “I’ve always sort of quietly defended them, stating that despite what critics might say, the audience appreciated them. Now, years later, people are beginning to acknowledge that these films are family-friendly, fun, and got a lot right. They may have their flaws, but they are still really good movies.”

Despite their initial critical backlash, the "Fantastic Four" films earned some commercial success and have seen renewed interest with the recent release of “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.” At their release, "Fantastic Four" scored a 28% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while its sequel "Rise of the Silver Surfer" earned a slightly better 37%.

“We made three quarters of $1 billion with those two movies,” Chiklis said. “So, surely all those audience members can't be wrong, you know?”

Co-star Ioan Gruffudd, who played Reed Richards or 'Mr. Fantastic', also shared to Vulture that there were initial plans for a trilogy, but it didn't materialize. "The second movie was as successful and enjoyable as the first," said Gruffudd, "but these decisions about doing a third film were out of my hands."