Doom's so vain I bet he thinks this podcast's about him. After decades of development limbo and one unreleased low-budget experiment, the Fantastic Four finally arrived in theaters in 2005 with a full studio push from 20th Century Fox. Positioned as the next Marvel team franchise to stand alongside X-Men, this big-budget adaptation brings Reed Richards (102 Dalmations' Ioan Gruffudd), Sue Storm (Idle Hands' Jesica Alba), Johnny Storm (Not Another Teen Movie's Chris Evans), and Ben Grimm (The Shield's Michael Chiklis) to life as they square off against Victor Von Doom (Nip/Tuck's Julian McMahon). With glossy effects, a $100 million budget, and clear plans for sequels, does this first official big-screen outing capture the mix of science fiction spectacle and family dynamics that made the comic a classic, or does it struggle to ignite? Join the Now Playing Podcast crew as they break down the film that finally gave Marvel’s First Family a theatrical release.   {Fantastic Four Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}