Old MCU Fantastic Four Discussion Thread

[TheVileOne]

The man out of time is Captain America's angle. Fantastic Four is the First Family. A family of space explorers. That's their angle. It doesn't need to be set in the 1960s to make that work.

 

[Marvel united]

Nah that’s the age marvel usually aims for. Not too young, not too old. Plenty of franchise potential.



Maybe that could be the new infinity war gems Easter egg? Like if kang is the big bad, he’s grabbing people like the ff and carol danvers and bringing them to a different time zone

I'd rather Reed and Ben not be 20-somethings. Never cared for Ultimate F4 and the teenage College kids angle. Trank went that route.

I agree that franchise longevity is particularly important for the Fantastic Four. So the age range casting for Reed/Ben should be mid 30s to early 40s, for Sue late 20s to early 30s and Johnny should be early 20s (around same age as Tom Holland)


Either way, the Fantastic Four could become the new face of the MCU for the next couple of phases. A lot of weight will be riding on their casting.

 

[Crimz]

Agree to disagree. IMO it wouldn't take away from the FF core as characters if you make it a period piece, and you could sort of justify the more antiquated elements from the comics like the original "beat the reds" motivation for stealing the spaceship in a film.

Those elements just need to be updated, not included. After Infinity War it could be as easy as trying to perfect interstellar travel after proof of hostile aliens with the Chitari and later Thanos.

Not if you take the Captain America route. You could have the first film take place in the the past then the sequels take place in modern day.

Only Captain America should go that route as that is a part of his story originally. The FF have always been a part of modern times and being lost in time is not their story and nor should it be.

I don't agree with you about 60s Sue, I think she was still a strong, badass character. She wasn't just a trophy wife for Reed.

60s Sue was the worst to the point where fans wrote in about how bad she was. She is definitely a product of the misogyny of the 60s with only being the wife and token girl of the team who was too occupied with material things a lot of the time and that version should never be visited again. Byrne elevating her from Invisible Girl to Woman was much welcomed and needed.

Nah that’s the age marvel usually aims for. Not too young, not too old. Plenty of franchise potential.

No That is really young and Marvel has only done that age range for Spider-Man. Every other main player in the MCU started out in their mid thirties or early forties.

 

[Willie Lumpkin]

IF they did a retro FF, I would hope the goal wouldn't be to bring them to present time too soon, but to spend some good quality time exploring that cool retro-future world.

I would hope the point would be to really explore a Kirbyesque world with production design taken straight from the comics and there would be no rush to bring them into present day.

Then if/when they are brought into present time, there's no need for them to act like fish out of water. They're smart, adaptable people who have seen a lot of s***. Modern day would just be a new environment to which they'd quickly adapt.

But if they really did it right, I wouldn't mind if they did a solid trilogy (or more) set completely in the '60s and then they could bring them into the present at some later date (possibly with a new cast depending on timing and the state of the MCU at that time).

There are definite pros and cons to that approach with the biggest downside being the lack of interaction with current characters (though they could interact with a young Hank Pym and other characters that haven't been used yet that could be introduced in their time).

But I'm willing to be open-minded and look forward to any FF treatment as long as it's done with and understanding of and respect for the characters because that's something we have yet to see.

 

[parkerpete]

60s Sue was the worst to the point where fans wrote in about how bad she was. She is definitely a product of the misogyny of the 60s with only being the wife and token girl of the team who was too occupied with material things a lot of the time and that version should never be visited again. Byrne elevating her from Invisible Girl to Woman was much welcomed and needed.

Yeah, whoever said they thought 60's Sue was a 'strong, badass' character hasn't read any of the '60's comics in a while. It's positively cringeworthy how badly Sue is written and how Reed talks to her. Reed's almost as bad as the Venture Brothers spoof of him.

I want a HIGHLY stylized FF with crazy Kirby designs and mind-bending cross-dimensional exploration and a proper Doctor Doom. it could work as a period piece that crosses over into present day, but it's probably more likely they work it into the contemporary MCU timeline. I'm super curious to know what kind of contingency plan Feige has been working on.

 

[Tg11]

Reed Richards- John Krasinski or Jake Gyllenhaal or Joseph Gordon Levitt
Sue Storm- Sienna Miller
Johnny Storm- Charlie Rowe
Ben Grimm- John Cena
Victor Von Doom- Nikolaj Coster Waldau or Dan Stevens

 

[WBwins]

I also want them to be present day.Cap Marvel,Cap America are all from the Past.Dont want F4 to repeat that.

A cool idea i had for the movie's conflict was
Fantastic Four and Wakanda vs Latvia and Atlantis

Thats an Epic right thee.

 

[terry78]

Ioan Gruffud was too bookish, an Miles Teller was too arrogant *****ebag. Need to split the difference where he's like almost Shedlon Cooper-ish with dealing with people but isn't afraid to venture to the unknown and get physical.

 

[AndrewGilkison]

I am still firmly on the Oscar Issac train for Reed.

 

[VictusMortuus]

It would be cool if they are from the 60's but they have modern tech in the Baxter building and when they all disappear into the negative zone, slowly the tech gets out until we fast forward to modern day with the F4 emerging from the negative zone into modern day NYC. But instead of the stereotypical fish-out-of-water trope for the out of ones time scenario we see them all accustomed to present day tech with Reed even disappointed its not MORE advanced and his intellect should be advanced to the point that no one comes close to rivaling it.

 

[Detective Conan]

Those elements just need to be updated, not included. After Infinity War it could be as easy as trying to perfect interstellar travel after proof of hostile aliens with the Chitari and later Thanos.

I dunno, A Fantastic Four debuting after Spider-Man, Hulk, Iron Man are already established heroes is bizarre. In the comics, Peter Parker idolizes and looks up to the FF. The MCU has already supplanted the FF's celebrity superhero status with The Avengers so why not have them be these legacy heroes that are remembered in history that mysteriously disappeared in the 60's and re-emerge in the modern day? IMO. Peter Parker could read about them in history books, or maybe Uncle Ben told young Peter stories about the superhero team inspiring young Peter. I don't want the FF to be ''The Last Family."

Only Captain America should go that route as that is a part of his story originally. The FF have always been a part of modern times and being lost in time is not their story and nor should it be.

Well neither is Captain Marvel but that hasn't precluded Marvel from heading a similar direction with that character. It really doesn't take away anything from The FF's core as characters if it set in the past.

IF they did a retro FF, I would hope the goal wouldn't be to bring them to present time too soon, but to spend some good quality time exploring that cool retro-future world.

I would hope the point would be to really explore a Kirbyesque world with production design taken straight from the comics and there would be no rush to bring them into present day.

Then if/when they are brought into present time, there's no need for them to act like fish out of water. They're smart, adaptable people who have seen a lot of s***. Modern day would just be a new environment to which they'd quickly adapt.

But if they really did it right, I wouldn't mind if they did a solid trilogy (or more) set completely in the '60s and then they could bring them into the present at some later date (possibly with a new cast depending on timing and the state of the MCU at that time).

There are definite pros and cons to that approach with the biggest downside being the lack of interaction with current characters (though they could interact with a young Hank Pym and other characters that haven't been used yet that could be introduced in their time).

But I'm willing to be open-minded and look forward to any FF treatment as long as it's done with and understanding of and respect for the characters because that's something we have yet to see.

[YT]VehLxh5wCU8[/YT]

 

[parkerpete]

It would be cool if they are from the 60's but they have modern tech in the Baxter building and when they all disappear into the negative zone, slowly the tech gets out until we fast forward to modern day with the F4 emerging from the negative zone into modern day NYC. But instead of the stereotypical fish-out-of-water trope for the out of ones time scenario we see them all accustomed to present day tech with Reed even disappointed its not MORE advanced and his intellect should be advanced to the point that no one comes close to rivaling it.

Something just occurred to me with all the craziness we're likely to see with the infinity stones and reality warping...

what if the FF aren't just time-travelers, but dimensional travelers? What if they're from earth in another reality where Thanos gets all the stones in 1966, or Galactus attacks earth, and Reed forces them through a dimensional portal to save their lives? And maybe THAT's what mutates them?

It would give them a different kind of celebrity if they suddenly materialized through some kind of portal into our reality in a public way, with the public treating them as some kind of celebrity extraterrestrials. And it would be consistent with the FF's essence as interdimensional explorers. Also, it might give Reed some insight into the next huge MCU event, if he's preparing for Galactus because that's what destroyed the earth that he fled from.

The only sticking point would be how to fold Doom into their story. But it could be done.

It would be a different kind of time-travel story than what we've seen with Cap and Carol, and it would make for some fun fish-out-of-water humor. Things like Ben hollering 'I'm not a blasted ALIEN! I like BAGELS, fer pete's sake!'

 

[AndrewGilkison]

I'd rather they not complicate the story of FF too much by making them people out of time or from another dimension or anything like that.

What if they already exist in the MCU as people and are not the FF yet? What if they haven't gone into space yet?

 

[Detective Conan]

I'd rather they not complicate the story of FF too much by making them people out of time or from another dimension or anything like that.

What if they already exist in the MCU as people and are not the FF yet? What if they haven't gone into space yet?

That's likely the route they'll go if they forgo the period piece angle. Still much prefer it be a period piece but to each their own.

 

[AndrewGilkison]

That's likely the route they'll go if they forgo the period piece angle. Still much prefer it be a period piece but to each their own.

A period piece makes it too hard to integrate the FF into the MCU, and I think it makes the FF look too much like your dad's superhero team. It makes them look old and outdated.

 

[Crimz]

I'd rather they not complicate the story of FF too much by making them people out of time or from another dimension or anything like that.

What if they already exist in the MCU as people and are not the FF yet? What if they haven't gone into space yet?

A period piece makes it too hard to integrate the FF into the MCU, and I think it makes the FF look too much like your dad's superhero team. It makes them look old and outdated.

I agree. Most already ignorantly say that the FF are outdated and old fashioned, making it a period piece would be confirming those beliefs and putting the nail in the coffin. Marvel needs to be driving people away from this mindset instead of confirming it.

The FF don't need to be the first to have value, it's not important to who they are as a team. What is important is that they are a close family, go on crazy scientific adventures, and kick ass.

I also don't want them to have been active for years already. Part of what made the FF great was reading them growing and developing into the team we know and love. Franklin and Valeria should not be born yet and be introduced in successive films. The team having powers already for years before their introduction and already have kids will mean we miss out on a lot of growth and development.

 

[Detective Conan]

I agree. Most already ignorantly say that the FF are outdated and old fashioned, making it a period piece would be confirming those beliefs and putting the nail in the coffin. Marvel needs to be driving people away from this mindset instead of confirming it.

The FF don't need to be the first to have value, it's not important to who they are as a team. What is important is that they are a close family, go on crazy scientific adventures, and kick ass.

I also don't want them to have been active for years already. Part of what made the FF great was reading them growing and developing into the team we know and love. Franklin and Valeria should not be born yet and be introduced in successive films. The team having powers already for years before their introduction and already have kids will mean we miss out on a lot of growth and development.

A poster posted a really interesting modern day MCU origin for the FF in a thread once and even though I'd still prefer them in the 60's I have to give to him that's a clever way to do it. Wish I could find it.

Edit: Found it.

 

[Crimz]

A poster posted a really interesting modern day MCU origin for the FF in a thread once and even though I'd still prefer them in the 60's I have to give to him that's a clever way to do it. Wish I could find it.

Edit: Found it.

That's a good way they could possibly go. Only difference I'd say is take away Doom tampering with the ship lessen his involvement. The accident should always be because of Reed and his impatience. He has always lived with guilt of turning his family into monsters and making it Doom takes away a fundamental aspect of Reed's character.

Part of the reason the FF exist should be because Reed is forever trying to atone for hurting those he loves the most.

Edit: The above pages should be mandatory reading for any actor playing Reed.

 

[AndrewGilkison]

A poster posted a really interesting modern day MCU origin for the FF in a thread once and even though I'd still prefer them in the 60's I have to give to him that's a clever way to do it. Wish I could find it.

Edit: Found it.

I like the idea of Reed Richards being a futurist who wants to create his own FTL ships so mankind can travel the universe, and that is why the FF go into space and get their powers.

 

[parkerpete]

That's a good way they could possibly go. Only difference I'd say is take away Doom tampering with the ship lessen his involvement. The accident should always be because of Reed and his impatience. He has always lived with guilt of turning his family into monsters and making it Doom takes away a fundamental aspect of Reed's character.

Part of the reason the FF exist should be because Reed is forever trying to atone for hurting those he loves the most.

Edit: The above pages should be mandatory reading for any actor playing Reed.

I think it's good to give Reed some of the blame for the accident because the guilt gives him something to work with as a character. But it's tricky because you can't make him too reckless or it undermines his status as a genius and makes him too indefensible.

One idea that came to me is that maybe Reed is developing an untested FTL prototype and Doom, who has just risen to the throne of Latveria, steals it. By Doom's reasoning, Richards 'owes' him the tech because he blames him for the accident that scarred him.

Reed, concerned about what Doom will be able to do with this kind of tech, and not trusting any other governments or SHEILD with it, comes up with a plan on his own to steal back the prototype and enlists Ben and Sue to help him. Johnny finds out about the plan and blackmails them into taking him too.

While trying to transport the prototype out of Latveria, something goes wrong, Doom eliminates their escape route and Reed is forced to use the prototype itself as a means to escape. It malfunctions and lands them in deep crazy cosmic territory/dimension-jumps to the Negative Zone where Ben is forced to do exterior repairs to fix the craft and jump them back to earth and they discover their mutations.

Reed thinks the malfunction was due to anti-theft tampering by Doom but later on finds out from Doom himself that he never touched the prototype-- Reed simply miscalculated. Doom gets a lot of pleasure out of this exchange.

 

[Silvermoth]

Those elements just need to be updated, not included. After Infinity War it could be as easy as trying to perfect interstellar travel after proof of hostile aliens with the Chitari and later Thanos.




Only Captain America should go that route as that is a part of his story originally. The FF have always been a part of modern times and being lost in time is not their story and nor should it be.



60s Sue was the worst to the point where fans wrote in about how bad she was. She is definitely a product of the misogyny of the 60s with only being the wife and token girl of the team who was too occupied with material things a lot of the time and that version should never be visited again. Byrne elevating her from Invisible Girl to Woman was much welcomed and needed.

No That is really young and Marvel has only done that age range for Spider-Man. Every other main player in the MCU started out in their mid thirties or early forties.

I think Chris Hemsworth was about mid 20s when he started, Evans was about late twenties/early thirties, Brie is about that age. It’s really not that young

 

[Silvermoth]

It would be interesting if you brought reed Richards in from the 60s and he’s all like “look what I just made! I call it the mobile phone!” And everyone just rolls their eyes lol

 

[Shinobi Shaw]

Should Reed and Sue already be married?

I think so.

 

[Marvel united]

Wow, just saw Quiet Place. John would be perfect as Reed. No better choice than him

 

[Detective Conan]

Reed and Sue being married is a no-brainer but the real question is should they be married when we first meet them in the MCU prior to the origin?

Edit: Sorry misread your post. You wrote ‘already’. My answer is yes. Get it out of the way to avoid the plodding romantic tension.