A Fantastic Four trilogy was planned in the '00s, according to Reed Richards actor Ioan Gruffudd: "The mindset was that we were going to do three"

A Fantastic Four trilogy was originally planned in the '00s, and Reed Richards star Ioan Gruffud was surprised the third movie didn't go ahead because of the success of the first two.

"The mindset was that we were going to do three, and I think the second movie was equally successful as the first and equally enjoyable for the fans," Gruffud told Vulture. "I particularly loved working with Doug Jones [as the Silver Surfer] on that movie, who’s just a terrific artist and an expert in the field of movement. If you want to witness somebody bringing a character to life physically, he’s just untouchable. So there was definitely that sort of momentum, and the plan was to do three movies, but these decisions are beyond my control."

Gruffud played Reed Richards, AKA Mister Fantastic, in 2005's Fantastic Four and its 2007 follow-up, Rise of the Silver Surfer. Both movies performed well at the box office, but neither received critical acclaim: Fantastic Four has a score of 28% on Rotten Tomatoes, while Rise of the Silver Surfer has a slightly improved 37%.

"As an actor, you almost grieve every part that you’ve played, and this was no different," he continued. "This was a massive stepping stone in my career, and because this was two movies over several years, the character becomes part of you."

Alongside Gruffud, Jessica Alba played Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Chris Evans was Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Michael Chiklis played Ben Grimm/the Thing. Evans recently reprised his role as Johnny Storm for a cameo in Deadpool and Wolverine as one of the discarded variants the titular duo encounter in the Void.

Now, though, Marvel's First Family have been rebooted again (following 2015's disastrous remake) and made their MCU debut in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach take on the eponymous quartet.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is out now in theaters. For more on the movie, check out our guide to the Fantastic Four: First Steps post-credits scenes, or our spoiler-free Fantastic Four: First Steps review.