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<title>This 58-Year-Old Fantastic Four Cartoon Deserves a Rewatch (But Fans Can't Find It)</title><img class="contentimg" src="https://static1.cbrimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/fantastic-four-cartoon.jpg"/> <p>The Marvel Universe hit its stride in the '60s with The Fantastic Four and changed the face of comics forever with its blend of science and the fantastical. For decades since, the characters have remained the foundation of the universe and have even made the cross to live action no less than four times, though one version never saw the light of day thanks to some frustrating legal issues. Nevertheless, The Fantastic Four is an important part of comics history that, even in a world where heroes crossover in live-action all the time, has yet to meet their Marvel counterparts on the big screen.</p> <p>Thankfully, as fans gear up to see <em>The Fantastic Four: First Steps</em> officially integrate Marvel's first family in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it sets a tone that fans may not be used to: '60s retro during the height of the space age. It was a unique time and one that, even in cartoon form, wasn't exploited. Sure, the '90s and 2000s had their fair share of Fantastic Four cartoons, but there was only one series that captured the same tone as what the MCU version will offer: 1967's <em>The Fantastic Four</em>. The Hanna-Barbera series was a beloved part of many millennial's early mornings on the Boomerang channel and shares a unique tie to the MCU's Fantastic Four, but while fans may want to rewatch the show for nostalgia, finding the series is much harder than many may assume.</p> <h2>                        The Fantastic Four Set an Unforgettable Tone               </h2><embed>[embed]https://youtube.com/watch?v=Eue8XngYdzM[/embed]</embed><p>One of the things that made <em>The Fantastic Four</em> so entertaining when it first appeared was its constant theme of exploration. Paralleling a time when humans were trying to go to the moon, the FF was trying to go to different dimensions, planets, and timelines. They've always been explorers first, and their initial comic run drove that home with each issue. This was also the tone of the 1967 cartoon, as it essentially adapted many of the early stories from the comics. But in doing so, it helped solidify a unique tone for the characters that, when embraced even decades later, was a recipe for success. The '60s aesthetic, even in the jazzy theme song, showed that these characters were of the time they were created in and, with that, similar values of tolerance and trying to discover anything and everything that the modern world would deem impossible. From showing the unconditional love of taking in Ben Grimm as one of their own to showing the retro technology aesthetic that Jack Kirby made famous, the style of <em>The Fantastic Four</em> was also one that defined the series in a way that fans are still talking about.</p><p>Hanna-Barbera may be known for its shows like <em>The Flintstones</em> and <em>Johnny Quest</em>, but <em>The Fantastic Four</em> was unprecedented and showed that the animation team could also deliver on superhero action of the comic book variety. It was a show that was corny in many ways but also had a heart in that it did its best to adapt to the source material and deliver a fun version of heroes that have stood the test of time. But even still, with the even more faithful '90s <em>Fantastic Four</em> series and the 2000s' <em>Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes</em>, they both missed that aesthetic that could only be achieved with the decade. That said, while the series deserves a revisit, even something tied to a beloved animation studio like Hanna-Barbera is anything but easy to find anymore.</p> <h2>                        The Series Can't Be Watched Easily               </h2><div><img class="contentimg" src="https://static1.cbrimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Fantastic-Four-1967.jpg"/></div><p> While <em>The Fantastic Four</em> has served as one of the more definitive retellings of the team's early adventures, the 20-episode series had a unique and ultimately ill-fated history that has made it nearly impossible to watch today. The series first came to life when Hanna-Barbera's agent, Sy Fischer, saw his son reading the FF comics. From there, the chain of events that brought the series to life was smooth sailing as the idea was presented to Joseph Barbera and later Stan Lee. From there, a season was greenlit to premiere on ABC in 1967. While the show was fun and showed how well superheroes could work on television, it only lasted one season. That said, the legacy of the cartoon would help keep the characters alive alongside other iterations of the cartoon that featured the team, like <em>The New Fantastic Four</em> from the '70s.</p> <div><table align="" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="" summary=""><tbody><tr><td><strong>Series</strong></td><td><strong>Year</strong></td></tr><tr><td><em>The Fantastic Four</em></td><td>1967</td></tr><tr><td><em>The New Fantastic Four</em></td><td>1978</td></tr><tr><td><em>Fantastic Four</em></td><td>1994</td></tr><tr><td><em>Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes </em></td><td>2006</td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>Everyone remembered when Disney bought Marvel Comics and the characters therein back in 2009, and this changed the landscape of movies and television for the characters forever. Unfortunately, this also meant that some projects may never see the light of day again, including The Fantastic Four. Not only did they take a temporary hiatus from the comics, but the original 1967 cartoon was also lost. Before that, the series would air reruns on the Boomerang channel, but once the merger with Fox and Disney was complete, even the distribution rights were stopped, leaving the series as a form of lost media, save for the YouTube videos that existed to remind fans of the show that once was.</p><p>Nowadays, it should be easy to watch shows from the past, especially with big names like <em>The Fantastic Four</em> attached to it, but in the case of the 1967 show, it's nearly impossible. Disney+ offers some classic cartoons like <em>Spider-Woman</em> and <em>Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends,</em> but is severely lacking in <em>The Fantastic Four</em>. With no streaming outlet, the best chance to watch this show in the modern age would be to track down the DVD release of the series that was put into print in the 2000s. But even still, that's a hunt all in itself. This is a major loss in terms of animation history being lost in the endless iterations and releases of other forms of media. But it also means that fans wanting to get the best teaser of what to expect from <em>The Fantastic Four: First Steps</em> won't be able to anymore.</p> <h2>                        The Spirit of the Cartoon Lives on in the Marvel Cinematic Universe               </h2><div><img class="contentimg" src="https://static1.cbrimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/fantastic-four-first-steps.jpg"/></div><p>1967's <em>The Fantastic Four</em> deserves a rewatch by any fans of the characters and those who want to capture the feeling and aesthetic that the new film has left behind. However, with the series almost impossible to find, the reverse may be the only way to celebrate it. <em>The Fantastic Four: First Steps</em> is an MCU film that's not set in the Sacred Timeline but is still part of the larger universe. The reason for this is because it's set in a completely different universe where it's a futuristic version of the '60s where the style is classic, but the technology is leagues ahead of where it should be. In essence, it evokes a sense of the perfect society where the world has come together with the dreams and hopes of an even brighter tomorrow. With that alone, it's clear just how similar the movie looks to be to the 1967cartoon, taking on the best aspects of the latter to deliver a new type of story that honors the source but also offers something completely new for fans.</p> <div><table align="" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="" summary=""><tbody><tr><td><strong>Movie</strong></td><td><strong>Year</strong></td></tr><tr><td><em>The Fantastic Four</em></td><td>1994</td></tr><tr><td><em>Fantastic Four</em></td><td>2005</td></tr><tr><td><em>Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer</em></td><td>2007</td></tr><tr><td><em>Fantastic 4</em></td><td>2015</td></tr><tr><td><em>The Fantastic Four: First Steps</em></td><td>2025</td></tr></tbody></table></div><p>There's no denying that <em>The Fantastic Four</em> cartoon needs to be offered a second chance, whether on Disney+ or another streaming service. But with so many legal issues tied to the show, those odds seem incredibly low. Even still, <em>The Fantastic Four: First Steps</em> may be able to split the difference by evoking similar feelings as the cartoon and possibly even reigniting hope that the show could return one day. The spirit of <em>The Fantastic Four</em> has always been about adventure and discovery. They are about traveling to the unknown and learning or sharing new ideas with those they encounter and showing that technology can be used to benefit the world. The 1967 show proved this, and now, the new film has the chance to do the same. That said, it's a shame that such an influential cartoon still hasn't seen the light of day since 2009. <em>The Fantastic Four</em> deserves a rewatch more than any other Marvel show, and until it can be, <em>The Fantastic Four: First Steps</em> may be the only way to enjoy what made the cartoon so great.</p>