X-Men (film series) films and plot points that are conveniently ignored in later films. He also criticized 20th Century Fox for not mapping out the series from the beginning. Richard George of IGN stated that the success of the first "X-Men" film paved the way for comic-book film adaptations such as the "Spider-Man" series, "Fantastic Four" (2005), "V for Vendetta" and Singer's "Superman Returns". Chris Hewitt of "Empire" magazine called the first "X-Men" film as the "catalyst" for films based on Marvel Comics characters, stating "Singer's 2000 film is the catalyst for everything that's come since, good and bad. Without it, there's no
Fantastic Four in film McMahon, the film was released on July 8, 2005. The story, both inspired by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's "Fantastic Four" comic-book storyline "The Galactus Trilogy" and Warren Ellis's comic-book "Ultimate Extinction", features the Silver Surfer, whose cosmic energy has been affecting the planet Earth and leaving craters around the planet. Set against an impending wedding between Reed and Susan, the U.S. Army recruits the Fantastic Four to help stop the Silver Surfer, and separately gain help from Doom. With "Fantastic Four" grossing $330.5 million worldwide, 20th Century Fox hired director Tim Story and screenwriter Mark Frost in December 2005