Ioan Gruffudd, one of the four leads of 2005’s Fantastic Four, has spoken about the prospective sequel that never materialised.
The Welsh actor played Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic in the superhero adaptation, opposite Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm/The Thing, Jessica Alba as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, and Chris Evans as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch.
The quartet reprised their roles for Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer in 2007. However, while a third film in the series was discussed, the franchise was ultimately curtailed after just two instalments.
During a new Q&A with Vulture, Gruffudd said he was “incredibly proud to be part of such a beautiful franchise”.
“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,” he said.
“I particularly loved working with Doug Jones [who played 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.”
Gruffudd explained that while there was “definitely that sort of momentum” when it came to making a third film, outside factors ultimately saw the idea abandoned.
“The plan was to do three movies, but these decisions are beyond my control,” he said.
Speaking about his career struggles in the aftermath of Fantastic Four, Gruffudd recalled: “As an actor, you almost grieve every part that you’ve played, and this was no different.
“This was a massive stepping stone in my career, and because this was two movies over several years, the character becomes part of you. So I think the grieving process is that you’ve enjoyed the character so much and you’re not getting to play them again.”
He also said that he had not been asked to portray the character again in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). In recent years, the MCU has used the concept of a “multiverse” to bring back actors from bygone superhero films, including Chris Evans, who reprised the role of Johnny Storm in last year’s Deadpool & Wolverine.
A newly rebooted version of Fantastic Four, titled The Fantastic Four: First Steps, is currently out in cinemas, and stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn.