Old MCU Fantastic Four Discussion Thread

[metaphysician]

I don't get what Feige sees in Watts that nobody else does. Yes, the Russos had done "You, Me, and Dupree" when he hired them but they instantly proved their mettle with their first two movies before being entrusted with Infinity War/Endgame.
Watts OTOH hasn't come even close to that. "Homecoming" was a pleasant diversion and "Far From Home" was one of the worst MCU movies, IMHO, with all the chaotic action scenes, the American Pie style comedy and the Iron Man Jr. stuff.

The only explanation I have is that after so many botched attempts to bring this franchise to screen they are going super-safe this time and choose a director who has shown his ability to make inoffensive films that appeal to the broadest audience possible.

Alternative explanation: the Spider-man productions were BTS dumpster fires due to the shared custody with Sony, and various parties knew that going in. This could be Feige going "Look, I know you were hobbled", or possibly "Okay, this is your reward for putting up with that mess".

 

[Milkman95]

I think Marvel is taking the Dr Strange approach to this, in that the primary goal here is to make a safe movie just to get people onboard first before they dive into bigger and bolder stuff. And Jon Watts is safe. He’s going to make a perfectly competent, inoffensive comedic F4 movie whose primary goal is to get you to like the characters. Feige is always about the long term plan, they never go balls to the wall on the first attempt.

I dont like it but i get it and I respect it. I wouldve preferred someone with more of a Spielberg/Abrams touch to handle these characters.

Somewhat agree, I don't care for Watts' Spider-man films, Homecoming was okay, FFH was trash, but he is probably a better fit for Fantastic Four than Spider-man, so I'll give him a chance. Also, my opinion also has a lot to do with me being a Spidey purist and a love for Raimi's first two films (I was in the first film), so as always, to each their own.

 

[Chris B]

I've liked but not loved both MCU Spidey films so I'm in the camp of being underwhelmed by the choice of Watts. I do concede though that part of that is due to me not agreeing with certain creative choices they made with those. They're still solid films regardless though, and if Feige liked what he pitched, then I'm willing to give him a chance.

 

[Scarecrow_King]

The more important question to be at this point is who the writer will be. Most of my issues with MCU Spidey have nothing to do with Watts...they're with the writers.

I know he was one of like, 8 people that wrote the first movie. But FFH took what didn't work in the first film, and made it worse. That's on the writers, which he wasn't one of (I don't think).

 

[Detective Conan]

The more important question to be at this point is who the writer will be. Most of my issues with MCU Spidey have nothing to do with Watts...they're with the writers.

I know he was one of like, 8 people that wrote the first movie. But FFH took what didn't work in the first film, and made it worse. That's on the writers, which he wasn't one of (I don't think).

Let’s be honest. Marvel is likely to get a writer from Rick and Morty for obvious reasons.

Wouldn’t even surprise me if Dan Harmon becomes one of the many writers on this project.

 

[Wheels]

I mean. . . in the MCU, he isn't. Why would you expect otherwise? He's a young, inexperienced teenager and street level hero, in a world in which far more powerful and experienced heroes have been active for about a decade. Do you really want the entire setting to magically rewarp itself to grant him importance unjustified by his actual position in it?

Insofar as Spider-man seems "bigger" in his earlier movies, its simply by default: he's the biggest most important hero because he's the *only* hero, in a world in which there were no prior superheroes, nor any other ones even after. You are never going to get the same effect in a mature comic book world.

I think it goes a bit beyond that, but now that we got that post-credit scene last movie, and we might be getting a Spider verse film. We might actually get something that's not just a pallet cleansing nice little movie. Pete is dealing with some heavy duty issues.

 

[Spider-Fan]

Alternative explanation: the Spider-man productions were BTS dumpster fires due to the shared custody with Sony, and various parties knew that going in. This could be Feige going "Look, I know you were hobbled", or possibly "Okay, this is your reward for putting up with that mess".

Watts can't have been hobbled too much. He came back for 3 movies under Marvel/Sony. Even if the money is good, you don't give up 6 years of your life like that if you don't enjoy it on some level

 

[Gamma Goliath]

For some reason I remember rumors some time before that watts was being looked at for FF. Or am I crazy ?

 

[MbJ]

It was around the time the Sony split happened. Rumor was Feige trying to lure Watts away from Sony.

 

[Gamma Goliath]

Thats right, that's exactly when I was remembering that. Looks like the rumors were true. Feige must really like him. Or he must've had a really good pitch for the movie.

 

[Primal Slayer]

I agree with others—I don’t think the FF will be all Caucasian.

I really like Jay Ellis as Reed tbh

YES! Id love for him Reed. I think Thing will stay caucasian since casting a POC only to have them be in makeup/CGI 90% of the film is so 2019.

 

[BobJM]

YES! Id love for him Reed. I think Thing will stay caucasian since casting a POC only to have them be in makeup/CGI 90% of the film is so 2019.

Christopher Abbott or Channing Tatum are my current picks for Ben Grimm.

 

[Primal Slayer]

I do expect a multiracial maybe even all black Fantastic Four.

Don't shoot me. Just an odd hunch.

I hope not though I wouldnt be strongly against it. If anything I say make Reed Asian or black, The Storms white or latino, Ben...white.

 

[Detective Conan]

Christopher Abbott or Channing Tatum are my current picks for Ben Grimm.

Good picks. Though Liev Schreiber remains my top pick.

 

[kguillou]

What does everyone think theyre gonna do with Dr Doom. I’m betting that theyre gonna save Doom for further down the line but Victor will be a character in the movie, maybe a friend to Reed that we see gradually descend to villainy.

 

[BobJM]

I hope not though I wouldnt be strongly against it. If anything I say make Reed Asian or black, The Storms white or latino, Ben...white.

Maybe Ana de Armas & Diego Boneta for the Storms?

My other picks were/are originally Mackenzie Davis (Terminator Dark Fate, Happiest Season) and Jackson White (Mrs Fletcher).

 

[Dark Raven]

How do we know that Watts isn't going to do something similar with Ben Grimm that he did with Tony Revolori's Flash Thompson? Maybe Ben Grimm would be be even weedier than in Fant4stic.

 

[Spider-Fan]

What does everyone think theyre gonna do with Dr Doom. I’m betting that theyre gonna save Doom for further down the line but Victor will be a character in the movie, maybe a friend to Reed that we see gradually descend to villainy.

I have no idea, but I do know at minimum he needs a post credit tease.

 

[BobJM]

What does everyone think theyre gonna do with Dr Doom. I’m betting that theyre gonna save Doom for further down the line but Victor will be a character in the movie, maybe a friend to Reed that we see gradually descend to villainy.

I’d be surprised if he’s in the first FF movie—Id suspect only as a credits stinger scene.

A Doom Disney+ show though seems like a no-brainer.

 

[kguillou]

Theyre gonna start small for sure, that seems to be the MCU formula, start small then build to the really good stuff later. I think Victor should at least be a character that gets introduced in the first movie though....like Baron Mordo in Doctor Strange.

 

[Detective Conan]

What does everyone think theyre gonna do with Dr Doom. I’m betting that theyre gonna save Doom for further down the line but Victor will be a character in the movie, maybe a friend to Reed that we see gradually descend to villainy.

If I had my druthers, I wouldn’t have Doom in the entire trilogy which is a sacrilegious thing to say given how important he is to the mythos but I’ve grown sick of the character.

 

[Shinobi Shaw]

I wouldn’t be mad if they retconned it where there were Doombots throughout the MCU movies from the past. Doom has been keeping surveillance the entire time, getting data and planning to strike.

 

[BobJM]

I wouldn’t be mad if they retconned it where there were Doombots throughout the MCU movies from the past. Doom has been keeping surveillance the entire time, getting data and planning to strike.

Maybe there’s a place for Doom in Armor Wars or Secret Invasion—loved the way the EMH animated series handled his inclusion against the Skrull invasion. EMH even had a good scene of Iron Man going against Lucia von Bardas for selling his tech.

 

[Spider-Fan]

I wouldn’t be mad if they retconned it where there were Doombots throughout the MCU movies from the past. Doom has been keeping surveillance the entire time, getting data and planning to strike.

SF's predictions for Doom:

-Latveria will have some ties to Sokovia somehow. Likely neighbors or something.

-The Doombots and maybe even Doom's armor will likely have been prototypes based on Ultron Drones.

-Would not be shocked if he studied with the Ancient One pre Stephen Strange, or even if he sought Strange out as a surgeon or something depending upon when his accident happened.

 

[BobJM]

If I had my druthers, I wouldn’t have Doom in the entire trilogy which is a sacrilegious thing to say given how important he is to the mythos but I’ve grown sick of the character.