The first issue of Fantastic Four was a success; it started a new direction for superhero comics, soon influencing all other superhero comics. Stan Lee was surprised at the reaction to the first issue, leading him to stay in the comics field despite previous plans to leave. Readers liked Ben's grumpiness, how Johnny annoyed everyone, and Reed and Sue's spats. Comics historian Stephen Krensky said that 'Lee's natural dialogue and flawed characters appealed to 1960s kids looking to "get real."'

By 2005, 150 million comics featuring the Fantastic Four have been sold. A Fantastic Four film was released in 2005, after successes with film series based on Marvel characters such as Blade, the X-Men (film series)

The X-Men film series is a series of superhero films based on the fictional Marvel Comics team of the same name.