Why Was Fantastic Four 3 Cancelled? Ioan Gruffudd Has No Clue

News18

01-08-2025

Last Updated:
Ioan Gruffudd discusses why the third Fantastic Four movie never happened, expressing disappointment over the dropped script by 20th Century Fox.
Ioan Gruffudd, who played Reed Richards in the initial Fantastic Four movies, recently commented on the confusion as to why a third movie in the series never materialised. Following the release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Gruffudd shared that the whole cast of the 2005 movie, including Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis, were supposed to come back for a third instalment. He believes that the script may have been dropped by 20th Century Fox. The sudden halt left both the actors and the fans confused and disappointed.
The Sequel That Didn't Come:
The actor returned as Mr. Fantastic in 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, following the box office success of the 2005 original. Speaking with Vulture about the third part of the franchise, Ioan Gruffudd said, 'The mindset was that we were going to do three, and I think the second movie was equally successful as the first and equally enjoyable for the fans. I particularly loved working with Doug Jones [as the Silver Surfer] on that movie, who's just a terrific artist and an expert in the field of movement. If you want to witness somebody bringing a character to life physically, he's just untouchable. So there was definitely that sort of momentum, and the plan was to do three movies, but
these decisions are beyond my control."
After the third Fantastic Four movie was cancelled, Ioan Gruffudd lost confidence and began going to therapy to deal with his emotions. He explained that actors often feel lost when they stop playing a character, and this role was important to him. Since he had played the part across two films, the character felt like a part of his life.
Despite not getting a chance to reprise the character, Gruffudd isn't upset now. He said, 'I'm incredibly proud to be part of such a beautiful franchise because it has touched my life in a very profound way. The people I've had the opportunity to meet over the years, if only I could describe their passion and how the film has affected them in real ways that live with them forever. I feel a great sense of pride that I got to represent a character that is so beloved, in a franchise that's so beloved, and in comics that are so beloved."
Moving Forward With New Film:
Ioan Gruffudd was recently spotted at the Los Angeles premiere of The Fantastic Four: First Steps with his pregnant wife, Bianca Wallace. The reboot features Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as The Thing.
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