Marvel Comics’ decision to cancel its “Fantastic Four” series has nothing to do with Twentieth Century Fox owning the rights to the films, according to a Disney executive.
During a roundtable discussion for The Hollywood Reporter, Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn and Fox Chairman and CEO Jim Gianopulos revealed comic book sales for the “Fantastic Four” series have drastically plummeted throughout the years, but denied any involvement with Marvel's decision to end the series, ComicBook reported.
“I don’t know how that decision came about,” Gianopulos said, referring to the cancelation. “The comic was not a huge seller. The Fantastic Four is a very established group of characters, and the film is awesome. Yeah, I think…I don’t know how that played into their decision, but it wasn’t…the book wasn’t selling as well as others.”
Marvel Comics confirmed the end of the “Fantastic Four” franchise during a panel at New York Comic Con 2014. “Fantastic Four” writer James Robinson talked to the crowd about the team’s final appearance in the comics.
"This is what I will say: when I started this book, some people were open to it, but there was a lot of negativity because I heard, 'Oh, my God -- James Robinson is going to do this dark, depressing Fantastic Four book. Who cares? That's not what we want!' I think I surprised everybody in that the book is still, I think, a pretty good Fantastic Four book,” Robinson told Comic Book Resources TV.
“It has all those elements that we like about the book. There's definitely been a groundswell of people -- 'This is a good book, Leonard Kirk's art is wonderful.' At the end of the day, nobody that likes the Fantastic Four will have a bad taste in their mouth. That's all I can say. I'm not going to let anybody down, I'm not going to leave this book on a bad note. I love these characters.”
Fans can see the live-action reboot of the “Fantastic Four” series starring Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara and Jamie Bell on Aug. 7, 2015.
