For his first comic book role, he portrayed superhero Johnny Storm / Human Torch in "Fantastic Four" (2005), based on the Marvel Comic of the same name. Upon release, the film was a commercial success despite a divided reception. In his mixed review, Joe Leydon of "Variety" praised the cast for their efforts and thought Evans gave a "charismatic breakout performance". Two years later, he reprised the role of Johnny Storm / Human Torch in the sequel "" (2007). "Toronto Star"s Rob Salem thought the film was a "significant improvement" from the first, and the critic from "Chicago Reader" thought the cast were "amusing enough" to carry the sequel. In 2016, reflecting on his experience of the "Fantastic Four" films, Evans said they left him "a little uneasy – because the movies weren't exactly the way I'd envisioned them".