Miles Teller Blames Key Figure for ‘‘FANT4STIC’ Failure

Miles Teller, who played Reed Richards in the 2015 superhero movie Fantastic Four (stylized as FANT4STIC), has opened up about what went wrong with the film.

Speaking to SiriusXM, the actor described the project as “unfortunate” and hinted that one key person was largely responsible for the movie’s failure. “I think it’s unfortunate for that, because so many people worked so hard on that movie. And honestly, maybe there was one really important person who kind of f**** it all up. Yeah,” Teller said.

Teller explained that part of his motivation for taking the role was to establish himself as a leading man. “Especially as a young actor, at that time, it’s like, ‘All right, if you wanna be taken seriously as a leading man, you gotta get on this superhero train.’ And that was our chance, and the casting, I thought, was spectacular. I love all those actors,” he added.

The actor also recalled his first reaction after seeing the finished film. “When I first saw the movie, I remember talking to one of the studio heads, and I was like, ‘I think we’re in trouble,’” he said. While he didn’t name the person responsible, many reports point to director Josh Trank.

According to multiple outlets, Trank clashed with Teller on set, and their disagreements nearly became physical at times. Trank also reportedly treated Kate Mara, who played Sue Storm, harshly during filming, even though the studio had insisted on her casting. Mara later described her experience as “horrible.”

Trank also publicly criticized the released film on social media, claiming he had a version that would have been well-received but that nobody would ever see. Industry sources estimate that Trank’s comments may have cost the movie between $5 and $10 million in ticket sales.

Fantastic Four was directed by Trank and written by Trank, Jeremy Slater, and Simon Kinberg. The film follows a group of intelligent teenagers who build a transdimensional portal, which gives them superhuman abilities. Despite the case, including Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, Toby Kebbell, Reg E. Cathey, and Tim Blake Nelson, the movie struggled at the box office, earning $168 million worldwide against a $120 million budget, and was widely panned by critics. It also received several Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Director and Worst Picture.

Plans for a sequel were canceled, and this film became the last Fantastic Four adaptation distributed by 20th Century Fox before Disney acquired the studio in 2019. The franchise was later rebooted as The Fantastic Four: First Steps, released on July 25 of this year, as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Six.

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