Miles Teller isn’t holding back anymore when it comes to the 2015 Fantastic Four disaster.
Almost a decade after the superhero flop hit theaters, the Top Gun: Maverick star opened up about what really went wrong with the movie that tanked both critically and commercially. Speaking candidly on SiriusXM’s Radio Andy show, Teller made it crystal clear that he’s pinpointing the blame on one specific individual.
“I think it’s unfortunate for that because so many people worked so hard on that movie,” Teller explained to host Andy Cohen. “And honestly, maybe there was one really important person who kind of f***ed it all up. Yeah.”
While Miles Teller didn’t explicitly name names during the interview, it doesn’t take a genius to read between the lines. Most industry insiders and fans believe he’s referring to director Josh Trank, whose behind-the-scenes behavior reportedly created chaos on set. Reports from the time painted a picture of a production spiraling out of control, with tensions running so high that Trank and Teller allegedly came chest-to-chest at one point, nearly throwing punches.
What makes the whole situation even more painful is that Teller actually had high hopes for the project initially. “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,'” the actor shared. At the time, landing a superhero role was seen as a career-defining moment, and Teller thought this was his shot.
The actor also praised his castmates, noting that the ensemble featuring Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, and Jamie Bell was “spectacular.” But even with talented actors on board, something went seriously wrong. “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,'” Teller recalled.
His instincts proved correct. The movie earned a devastating 9% score on Rotten Tomatoes and barely made back its budget, grossing just $168 million worldwide against a $120 million production cost. The failure was so complete that Fox scrapped plans for a sequel immediately.
Adding fuel to the fire, director Josh Trank infamously tweeted the night before the film’s release that audiences would never see his “fantastic version” of the movie, implying studio interference ruined his vision. That tweet was later deleted, but the damage was done.
Looking back, it’s clear the Fantastic Four reboot was doomed from the start. Between alleged on-set conflicts, studio meddling, and creative clashes, the movie never stood a chance. Teller’s recent comments finally give fans confirmation of what many suspected all along – that one person’s decisions ruined what could have been a successful franchise launch.
These days, Miles Teller has moved on to much bigger and better things, starring in massive hits like Top Gun: Maverick. Meanwhile, the Fantastic Four characters have been rebooted once again in the MCU, hopefully leaving the 2015 disaster far behind.
