Why Fox Seized Control of Fantastic Four During Reshoots

Fox seized control of Fantastic Four (2015), starring Miles Teller, Kate Mara and Michael B. Jordan, after seeing an early cut. The studio was horrified by its grim tone and even more concerned that it didn't look and feel much like a superhero movie.

Fox brought in Simon Kinberg and Drew Goddard

Panicking, Fox brought in X-Men writer and producer Simon Kinberg and Drew Goddard, who had famously rewritten World War Z's third act during reshoots. Josh Trank later said "it was like being castrated," arriving on set to find producers already blocking out scenes without him and an editor deciding what shots to get.

Missing actors complicated the Fantastic Four reshoots

Several key actors weren't even available. Toby Kebbell, who played Dr. Doom, later claimed he appears onscreen as the masked villain only a handful of times, with a stand-in filling most final scenes due to scheduling conflicts. Kate Mara had moved on to another project and cut her hair short, forcing her to wear a distractingly obvious wig.