For fans looking to watch the first two Fantastic Four movies before the new reboot hits theaters this August, it will be a bit more difficult than you think. 20th Century Fox has pulled the digital versions of 2005's Fantastic Four and the 2007 sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, from Amazon Instant Video and iTunes, ahead of the Fantastic Four reboot's August 7 release. An unidentified insider "close to the situation" revealed that the older movies were removed so they wouldn't distract the promotion of the reboot.

The source claimed that, since the reboot is trying to establish a completely different tone than Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, the studio didn't want to create confusion in the marketplace, leading to the titles being removed from digital platforms. The insider claimed that this practice is not uncommon, and that the original movies may return to Amazon and iTunes after the new Fantastic Four's theatrical release. Fans can still rent the DVDs through Netflix's DVD service, or purchase either the Blu-ray or DVD on Amazon. Coincidentally, both movies will also be airing back-to-back Saturday, June 20 starting at 8 PM ET on AMC.

Both Fantastic Four and the 2007 sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer starred Ioan Gruffudd (Mr. Fantastic), Jessica Alba (The Invisible Woman), Chris Evans (The Human Torch) and Michael Chiklis (The Thing) as the beloved main characters, with Julian McMahon portraying the villainous Dr. Doom. The original grossed $330.6 million worldwide during its theatrical run in 2005, while Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer earned $289 million worldwide. The Fantastic Four reboot features a much younger group of heroes, with Miles Teller as Mr. Fantastic, Michael B. Jordan as The Human Torch, Kate Mara as The Invisible Woman and Jamie Bell as The Thing, with Toby Kebbell portraying Doom. What do you think about 20th Century Fox pulling the original Fantastic Four movies from Amazon and iTunes?