20 Years Ago, Marvel’s Major Blunder: The Scene That Was Cut from the Film

The Fantastic Four are set to hit our screens again this year with “Fantastic Four: First Steps.” However, cast your mind back 20 years when we first saw their debut on the big screen. While Marvel-branded films already had access to top-notch special effects tools at the time, it’s clear that two decades have dramatically transformed the scene, leaving some sequences from that era looking quite dated.

This includes a scene from Tim Story’s 2005 “Fantastic Four,” featuring Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans (before he became Captain America), and Michael Chiklis in lead roles.

However, another well-known Marvel character made a brief appearance in the film, specifically a member of the X-Men, none other than Wolverine, portrayed by Hugh Jackman, of course. Yet, few people have seen this scene since it was cut from the final edit—and rightfully so. Although his inclusion in the movie was somewhat odd, it was primarily a visual disaster.

Sure, 20 years later, it’s easy to critique the special effects of the past, and older films often get a pass for their lack of technology, sometimes adding a certain charm and nostalgia. However, there are some unforgivable scenes, and Wolverine’s appearance in “Fantastic Four” was a true misstep.

A Transformation That’s Hard to Watch

Had the sequence been kept in the original “Fantastic Four” movie, we might have witnessed one of the ugliest scenes in Marvel’s cinematic history. In it, Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman were discussing their relationship in front of the Statue of Liberty, during which he confessed to his partner that he thought she wanted a “stronger” man. To appear “stronger,” he briefly morphed into Wolverine using his powers.

This could have been a fun nod to earlier Marvel productions, like the first two installments of the X-Men series which had already been released—and we know how much audiences love Hugh Jackman! But this brief visual transformation was so poorly executed that it was removed from the final product. Presumably, that’s why the sequence was cut during editing.

While it never made it to the big screen, the scene has since been unearthed and, for better or worse, here it is in all its failed glory.

However, on a positive note, the scene at least shows that Marvel was already thinking about incorporating various heroes from its universe into other films—and would eventually bring them together years later!

Fantastic Four (2005) is available for streaming on Disney+.

While you’re at it, take the opportunity to revisit its continuity errors in the video below!