The new Fantastic Four film (mockingly referred to as Fant4stic) hit theaters and the response has been pretty negative. That being said, I really wanted to like this movie – going into the theater amid the reviews in hopes that something worthwhile would be in it and trying to think of excuses for what was being presented to me.
Not since Green Lantern, or even the previous Fantastic Four films (which I’ve really never cared for, though I did enjoy Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis in their roles) has a superhero film been this widely panned by the fans. Unlike the two I just mentioned, which for their faults, at least didn’t take themselves too seriously, this film presents itself in a serious manner, making it so that you can’t even laugh at how silly it looks and sounds.
I’ve read some of the Mark Waid comics and loved them and plan to read more of that run – but I’m not as much a fan of them as I am of The Human Torch and The Thing. While I love the recent cast they’ve acquired for the lead roles and would like to see these characters in a real Fantastic Four movie – that isn’t likely to happen.
Here are five of the many reasons why Fantastic Four should go back to Marvel:
5. Doctor Doom Needs To Be Done Right
Remember how I said I don’t care about half of the Team? Well, I love Doctor Doom. Hell, I don’t even want to see him in another FF film. Make an Iron Man 4 film and make Doom the villain, or have him fight Doctor Strange. Doctor Doom is supposed to be the most fearsome villain in Marvel Comics. Every other villain, except Galacticus, Thanos, Magento, and Apocalypse, is terrified of him. If Doctor Strange and Iron man had a kid, it would probably be Doctor Doom, since he’s a master inventor and sorcerer. His armor is above par with anything Tony Stark has built because it is augmented by dark magic. His suit contains several magical relics, including splinters from the Holy Cross, which he traveled back in time to get in case he ever needed to fight vampires. Doom is the King of Latveria and his people love him.
Under Doom, they want for nothing. Food, education, and healthcare all provided for. Doom is actually a sort of a misguided hero. He wants to rule the world to save it. Is he a bit of a jerk about it? Yes. However, his motivation is pure. He visited multiple futures and saw the destruction of humanity and how to avert it. When he tried to steal vibranium from Wakanda, the Panther God would only grant him access if he was proved worthy, and he passed. The Panther God basically agreed that of all possible futures, the best was one ruled over by Doom. None of this has been presented onscreen in any Fantastic Four film. Doom has appeared in all 4 FF films and has been portrayed as a 2 dimensional villain with vague, uninteresting motivations. In the previous two films, he never had a plan. In the first film he wants to kill the FF because they are there. Then in the second he steals the Surfer’s power, but all he does is fly on the board for a while. In this newest one, the reason seems to be “I’m going to destroy the whole world because I can,” is about all the viewer can determine. If nothing else, at least Marvel will give this badass villain the justice he deserves. Also, he was the inspiration for Darth Vader, so yeah, he’s got that going for him.
4. Perfect Family Film
One thing that worked in the Tim Story FF movies was the sense of a dysfunctional family.This was mostly due to the amazing, onscreen chemistry between Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis whose sibling like love/hate relationship gives the films some of its best scenes. The bar scene in Rise of the Silver Surfer has more heart in it than the entirety of the new film. This kind of dysfunctional family dynamic is something Marvel has proved that they can do not once, not twice, but three times between both the Avengers films and Guardians of the Galaxy. If a FF film was put together that had half that effort put in to it as those two, I guarantee people would go despite being burnt by FF three times before.
3. Hulk vs. The Thing
I love The Thing. He’s a big, lovable, tough guy with a heart of gold. That being said, who
doesn’t want to see him and the Hulk beating the crap out of each other? One of the most popular screens in Age of Ultron was the Hulk vs. Hulk-buster fight. Who doesn’t want more of that? I even got the perfect choice for the Thing. Ron Perlman. There you go, Marvel. I did half of the work for you. Now just find a CG design that doesn’t answer the question Jason Lee asked Stan Lee in Mallrats about the Thing’s dork.
2. Human Torch and Spider-Man Bro-mance
I’ve always loved the friendship between Spidey and The Human Torch. The first comic I read was a Spider-Man Christmas issue during the Ben Reilly era. The Torch is waiting at the Statue of Liberty for Spider-Man on Christmas morning. When Spidey is late, he sends a Flaming spider symbol in the sky to get his attention. Reilly shows up and explains the whole clone mess to Johnny (surprisingly it doesn’t take until New Years to do so). Johnny explains that every Christmas they meet at the statue for gift exchanges and also to talk whenever things get too much for one or the other. Now I’m not a fan of Spidey being rebooted at Marvel and I’ll get into that another time, but I would love to see these two best friends just hanging out together for a scene or two. Spider-Man even joins the FF at one point as Johnny’s dying wish. This opens so many roads for stories, possibly a Spider-Man, Human Torch team-up film.
1. Avengers/Fantasic Four: The Coming of Galactus (Silver Surfer film)
This last one actually combines two points, but they are sort of tied together. Part of the FF film rights includes Galactus and Silver Surfer. Now, these guys I love. How do you match Thanos? Galactus. That’s how. Big 50-ft tall dude likes to eat planets and wears a big goofy helmet. No chance of a dust cloud here. Marvel Studios aren’t scared of doing goofy helmets. Just look at Loki. What better way cap off a possible phase four than with the only other villain that’s more of a threat than Thanos? There’s more than that. Marvel can finally do that Silver Surfer Solo film to set up Galactus and do it in that weird, Guardians of the Galaxy style. The film can take some cues from Dan Slots Silver Surfer run like a superhero hitchhikers guide to the galaxy.
This new Fantastic Four film could be a blessing in disguise if it results in Marvel getting the rights back. Then we might see a good Fantastic Four film as a result. I think we’ll look back on this film in the same why we now do on Batman and Robin, in that without it, we probably never would have gotten Batman Begins. Yeah it was bad, but look at this amazing thing that came later because of it. Or maybe Fox will reboot it again or make a sequel and finally get it right, that will make it their fifth Fantastic Four film. The law of averages says we got to get a good one eventually.
What did you think of the list? Let us know in the comment section at the bottom of the page!