Bob Iger Argues That Marvel Studios’ ‘Fantastic Four’ Is an Original IP
As the first real stars developed by Marvel Comics, The Fantastic Four are one of the most well-known and beloved superhero teams in the world.
Since their debut in 1961, Marvel’s first family has captured the imagination of fans, young and old, appearing in comic books, television shows, and movies.
Fantastic Four #67 by Stan (The Man) Lee, Jack (King) Kirby, Joe Sinnott, and Artie Simek. Photo: Marvel Comics
Despite the Fantastic Four’s long and storied history, however, Disney CEO Bob Iger believes that Marvel Studios is starting something new with the release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Bob Iger Talks ‘Fantastic Four’
During The Walt Disney Company’s Q3 earnings call yesterday, Iger was asked about Disney’s focus on original stories vs. franchise films. Looking at his company’s recent output, Iger made an interesting claim about First Steps.
Photo: Getty Images
“You could even argue that Marvel continues to mine its library of characters for original property. Even though, for instance, there have been Fantastic Four movies before, we kind of consider the one that we did an original property in many respects because we’re introducing those characters to people who are not familiar with them at all,” he said.
Iger’s comments are interesting for a number of reasons. For starters, it speaks to Marvel’s desire to present a fresh version of the Fantastic Four as the team makes its long-awaited debut in the MCU.
Photo: Marvel
Additionally, however, the comments are also further confirmation that Marvel plans to build a franchise around Marvel’s first family. Unlike other recent MCU projects (Eternals, Shang-Chi, Moon Knight, She-Hulk), it looks like Marvel is committed to continuing The Four’s story and building a new world around them.
Photo: Marvel (Via JoBo)
When viewed in this light, the Fantastic Four’s recent box office performance can be viewed as an introduction, not the final word.
