Why are the Fantastic Four films so bad in comparison to the other films in Marvel's stable? Does the comic book company have no idea how to deal with this set of characters? Actually, the truth is a bit complicated.
In 1986, Marvel was in dire straits and needed money fast. It signed a deal with Constantin Films giving permission to make a Fantastic Four movie. But it had to use its rights every so often to keep them. Its first attempt to keep the rights resulted in Roger Corman's ridiculous Fantastic Four which was only made as a defensive maneuver against Marvel Comics. It never earned a release.
In the early 2000's, Constantin was again desperate to keep its hold on the franchise. It farmed its permissions to Fox, who began making lackluster films in an effort to keep the rights.
By this point, Fox and Constantin's colossal blunders appear to be created mainly to spite Marvel and its new parent company Disney rather than legitimate attempts to make a successful film.
