What Happened To The Cast Of Marvel's 1994 Fantastic Four Movie?
The Fantastic Four will soon return to the big screen in the team's first live-action film set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which is poised to undergo some big changes in 2024). But over 30 years ago, Marvel's First Family made their movie debut in another film — a project that failed in a spectacular and, according to some rumors, intentional fashion.
In 1994, Roger Corman's production company, New Horizon Studios, worked with filmmaker Bernd Eichinger to produce a low-budget film, "The Fantastic Four," based on the Marvel comics of the same name. Directed by Oley Sassone, the project starred Alex Hyde-White as Reed Richards, Rebecca Staab as Susan Storm, Jay Underwood as Johnny Storm, Michael Bailey Smith as Ben Grimm, Joseph Culp as Doctor Doom, and Kat Green as Alicia Masters.
The rumor is that "The Fantastic Four" wasn't intended for theatrical release but was created to maintain the film rights of the characters, then owned by Eichinger's Constantin Films, as they were on the verge of expiring. Eichinger firmly denies that was why he made the movie, claiming that Marvel bought out his rights and shelved the project. Not only did Marvel producer Avi Arad confirm this, but Eichinger was later hired by 20th Century Fox to produce 2005's "Fantastic Four" and "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer." 1994's project was never officially released. Instead, it lives on in infamy, with bootleg copies making their way to the public via comic conventions before later becoming available online.
"The Fantastic Four" might have been a flop, but it remains a cult classic due to its bizarre behind-the-scenes story. Starring in the unreleased project, thankfully, didn't spell the end of its stars' careers, even if none of the leads went on to become major Hollywood names.
Reed Richards and Sue Storm's actors still work today
Alex Hyde-White didn't let "The Fantastic Four's" lack of success derail his career. The actor had notable (but minor) credits as young Henry in "Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade" and David Morse in "Pretty Woman" before taking on the role of Reed Richards, and would go on to appear in small roles in 2002's "Catch Me If You Can" and 2011's "The Adventures of Tintin." Hyde-White continues to work to this day and actually appeared in another Marvel project, playing an English Hydra agent from the 1800s in a 2015 episode of "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." He also recently played Grizz in Jordan Peele's critically acclaimed 2022 film, "Nope," in addition to multiple smaller television roles. Hyde-White also reunited with his "The Fantastic Four" castmates (besides Michael Bailey Smith) in the low-budget Antonio Lexerot-directed superhero film, "Surge of Power: Revenge of the Sequel," as a character named Club.
Rebecca Staab, a Miss USA pageant competitor in the 1980s, never became a major star but remained consistently booked and busy during her long career. After portraying Sue Storm in "The Fantastic Four," Staab appeared in several television sitcoms, dramas, and soap operas, including a part as a PBS representative in a 1994 episode of "Seinfeld" along with single episode appearances on "Dharma & Greg," "The Drew Carey Show," and "CSI." Staab also acted in more than ten different Hallmark Channel TV movies before returning to the world of capes and masks in "Superman & Lois," where she portrayed Gretchen Kelley, a dangerous ally of Lex Luthor (Michael Cudlitz). Staab appeared in "Surge of Power: Revenge of the Sequel" in the role of Heart. She is still very active in the movie and television industry.
Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm's pursued other endeavours
Jay Underwood already had several television appearances under his belt before taking on the role of Johnny Storm in "The Fantastic Four" and had a semi-successful career in acting following it. Underwood's most notable credit after playing the Human Torch was as Sonny Bono in the 1999 TV film "The Beat Goes On: The Sonny & Cher Story." Underwood eventually transitioned from acting to working as a pastor in California, where he's currently listed as the Lead Pastor/Elder for the Calvary Bible Church. Underwood's last credits were in the "Surge of Power" films, where he played the role of Cross in 2016 and 2019.
Michael Bailey Smith, a former football player and member of the US Army, had a mildly successful career post-"The Fantastic Four," guest-starring in multiple television series, including "Family Matters," "The X-Files," and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." The original Thing actor's most notable gig involved a handful of appearances in the early 2000s series "Charmed," where Bailey Smith played several roles throughout Seasons 3 and 4, including Belthazor, The Source of All Evil, and Shax. While Bailey Smith still dabbles in acting — his last credit came in 2022's "Class Horror Cast" — he currently works for the technology company Lexi, where he serves as the Vice President of Sales.
Touching on the rest of the infamous film's cast, actor Joseph Culp, who played Doctor Doom, has had a lengthy career, which notably includes a three-season role in "Mad Men" as Don Draper's (Jon Hamm) father, Archie Whitman, the video game "L.A. Noire," and as Spade in "Surge of Power: Revenge of the Sequel." Meanwhile, Alicia Masters actor Kat Green became a composer and producer, helping to create the music for the 2006 film "National Lampoon's Pucked."