10 More Superhero Team-Up Movies
Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four tells the familiar origin story of Marvel’s first family but gives it a dark twist that not every comic book fan appreciated at the time of the movie’s release. The lack of action, the abundance of continuity errors, and the muddled story also gave audiences and critics a reason to grumble.
If you’re a comic book fan, it might be that you were disappointed by the movie. Or perhaps you liked it, despite its various failings. Whatever the case, we have combed through the archives to bring you 10 superhero team-up movies that share similarities to Trank’s movie but which are better in quality.
Feel free to let us know what you think of our picks in the comments below.
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
It’s fair to say that there has never been a good Fantastic Four movie. But this sequel to 2005’s Fantastic Four is probably the best of the bunch, due to the superior special effects, fun interplay between the fab foursome, and some fairly decent action sequences, including one high-flying chase scene between the Human Torch and the Silver Surfer.
The movie’s similarity to Trank’s Fantastic Four is obvious – it focuses on the same set of characters. But this forgoes the darkness for a brighter and cheerier tone, which is more fitting with the original comic books written by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
X-Men: Days of Future Past focuses on the titular group of mutants and their efforts to change history when they realise their kind is destined to be wiped out by the Sentinels in the future. This sequel is the best movie in Fox’s now-cancelled X-Men franchise with its top-notch action scenes, emotional storyline, and respect for the original comic book story on which it is based.
Unlike the Fantastic Four, the heroes of the X-Men franchise were born with their powers. But like the Fantastic Four, they use their powers for good and not evil (with the exception of Magneto), and they work together to combat their enemies instead of going it alone. Bryan Singer’s movie is significantly better than Trank’s Fantastic Four but it shares some of that movie’s darkness when it flashes forward to a dystopian future at a time when most of the X-Men have been wiped out!
Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
2017’s Justice League was a bright and breezy comic book flick that pleased some but it wasn’t the movie Snyder envisioned. Joss Whedon took over the movie when a family tragedy meant Snyder had to step down and while the final result was entertaining enough, it didn’t retain the dark tone that had become synonymous with the superhero movies within the ‘Snyderverse.’
2021’s Justice League is faithful to Snyder’s vision. It retains the dark and oppressive tone of the director’s previous movies in the DCEU and it incorporates all of the scenes that he originally directed – including an extended plotline for Victor (aka Cyborg) – that Whedon cut out of his version. The movie might be overlong but if you’re looking for another superhero team-up movie with the darkness that is inherent in 2015’s Fantastic Four, you probably won’t mind the 4-hour running time of this epic saga.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
This sequel movie picks up where Avengers: Infinity War left off, with the people of Earth in a state of mourning after half of the population have been ‘blipped’ out of existence thanks to Thanos and the world-levelling click of his gigantic fingers. It’s up to the remaining Avengers to undo Thanos’s actions and restore order to the universe, even if it means making a few sacrifices along the way.
Avengers: Endgame is one of the best superhero movies of all time, something which can’t be said about Trank’s Fantastic Four, which is one of the worst superhero movies ever made. But despite this distinction in quality, they both showcase groups of heroes with fantastical powers and they both deal with the negative consequences of being a superhero. With regard to the latter, we are specifically referring to the risk-taking of the Avengers (which leads to the demise of some of them) and the body pain associated with having a superpower in Fantastic Four.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
The third and possibly final Guardians movie is the best of the trilogy. Once again, we join Peter Quill and his team as they defend the universe (and protect one of their own) from another diabolical threat. This time around, it’s the High Evolutionary that the team have to take on, as well as Adam Warlock who has been tasked by the Sovereign people to destroy the Guardians.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 features a team-up of superheroes that, in some cases, are just as unusual as the Fantastic Four. The latter movie has a rock monster, a human ball of flames, and a man who can stretch his body parts to incredible lengths. The Guardians have a monosyllabic tree among their number and a battle-scarred raccoon that can talk!
Both teams of heroes face threats in outer space too, although the Fantastic Four remained mostly earthbound after their initial journey to the planet that resulted in them getting superpowers.
Chronicle (2012)
Chronicle isn’t based on a comic book but it does feature a group of friends who gain superpowers after making an incredible discovery underground. Like Fantastic Four, the people in this movie find their lives spinning out of control after they receive their powers, and just like that previous movie, one of their number decides to embrace the darker side of their personality after gaining extraordinary abilities.
These aren’t the only similarities between the two. Both were directed by the same man – Josh Trank – and both star Michael B. Jordan. In Fantastic Four, Jordan plays a man who can become a human fireball at will and in Chronicle, his character gains telekinetic powers.
Chronicle was the movie that put Trank on the map and was the reason why he was handed the cinematic reins to the Fantastic Four. Despite showing early potential, however, Trank failed to create a movie that was as good as his mind-bending debut.
Watchmen (2009)
Based on the graphic novel of the same name, Watchmen tells the story of a masked group of superheroes whose world-saving days are far behind them. They exist in an alternate timeline where most of their number are dead or struggling with the ravages of life, and they have gone into forced retirement because of the outlawing of superheroes by President Richard Nixon.
Like the 2015 version of Fantastic Four, Zach Snyder’s movie is dark in tone and geared towards adult and older teenage audiences, so isn’t one for family viewing. It also features a character – Doctor Manhattan – who gained his superpowers through a scientific accident that almost killed him. A similar scenario is played out in Fantastic Four when the group gain powers after almost meeting their demise after tampering with a transdimensional portal.
If you’re looking for another movie like Fantastic Four that isn’t as colourful or as cheerful as most other comic book flicks, this is the one to go for.
The Flash (2023)
In 2015’s Fantastic Four, our team of heroes gain their superpowers after setting foot in a parallel dimension filled with otherworldly substances. In 2023’s The Flash, Barry Allen already has his powers when he travels into an alternate reality but his doppelganger, also called Barry, is powerless until he is shown how to get the power of superspeed by the multiversal visitor.
The Flash is a much better movie than Fantastic Four although it does have its flaws, as we said in our review, so can’t be classed as one of the best movies the genre has to offer. It’s a brighter and zipper movie than Trank’s failed effort but as it features another team-up of heroes, with the Flash joining up with an alternate Batman, Superman, and the second Flash, it does share some similarities to his movie.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
There are not one but three Spider-Men in this superior superhero movie. When one of Doctor Strange’s spells goes wrong (thanks to Tom Holland’s version of Spider-Man), a gateway into the multiverse opens up, resulting in the appearance of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Men and a number of villains from their respective movie universes.
This is the darkest Spider-Man movie to date due to the emotional trauma that Peter Parker goes through. This isn’t to say it’s all gloom and (Doctor) doom, however, as the thrilling action and comical banter between the three Spider-Men lift the movie out of the darkness whenever it threatens to become a tragedy instead of a fun comic book flick. This is something Trank clearly forgot to do with his Fantastic Four movie which is the darkest so far.
Like Trank’s movie, this uses alternate realities as its main plot device but aside from the team-up of heroes, that’s it as far as similarities go.
The Incredibles (2004)
Pixar’s The Incredible is a homage to Stan Lee’s Fantastic Four. Like the comic book, it features a family of superheroes, some of whom have similar powers to the fab foursome. Elastigirl has the ability to stretch her body, just like Reed Richards. Violet has the ability to turn herself invisible which is a power shared by Sue Storm. And Jack Jack has the ability to burst into flames, just like Johnny Storm.
The Incredibles is the best Fantastic Four movie to date, even though it isn’t actually based on the original comic book. It’s certainly better than Josh Trank’s movie and makes for ideal viewing if you want to watch an enjoyable superhero movie about a family with the same set of superpowers.
So, there we have it, our list of best movies that are similar to Fantastic Four. What do you think of our picks? Did one of your favourites make the list? Let us know in the comments below!