Period piece or present day?

Speaking of the Kirby aesthetic (and I do hope they go in that direction), remember all those people who said that film goers would never accept a "giant purple robot" in Rise of the Silver Surfer? So they just loved the idea of Galactus being represented as a gas cloud? Yeah, how did that work out?

Yes, I know Galactus was supposedly inside the cloud - it's still stupid. My take is that if you have one of the most beloved comic book stories of all time (the Galactus Trilogy), you don't have to mess with it a whole bunch.

I don't see why viewers wouldn't accept Galactus. There have been Celestials in some of the other Marvel movies, and some Watchers. I know that movie was 14 years ago, but I still want to say I told you so.

 

well said. Think of The Avengers post credits - if they made Thanos a vague purple cloud or ghost like being because it would be more "realistic" it would not have generated the same amount of buzz for the future of the MCU

 

This video changed my mind - 60s is the way to go!

 

Kennedy era Space Shuttle? Um, what?

I didn't watch Part Two, but let me comment on what I saw. I don't mind the FF originating in the '60s, and then suddenly appearing in our time. I wouldn't connect that to the incident where they gained their powers though, I would let them have a career in the '60s, and then get time shifted when returning from some space mission. I also dislike the idea of them getting their powers in the Negative Zone - call me a purist, but I like the old Cosmic Ray storm.

I'm a little uncomfortable with portraying all four of them as being in need of a cure from Reed. It reminds me too much of that awful Josh Trank film. Plus it dilutes Ben's story, he is visibly malformed, it makes more sense for him to be upset with his situation. That story works best as being uniquely Ben's IMO, even though the comics have even taken this tact in more recent years - "we're all freaks". In the most recent anniversary issue, Reed said that he invented heroic personas for his friends because he felt guilty about stealing their own lives from them.

But there's a problem with this approach. Where does Doom come in? Given his connection to Reed, he would most likely have to come from the '60s too. How does he get into our present time? Was he along for the ride with the FF (I don't care for that idea)? Did he put himself into suspended animation in a giant Big Boy satellite orbiting the Earth? I don't know.

Some people have conjectured that the old '60s team the Fantastic Four are currently trapped in the Quantum Zone, and that they will spring from there. The Ant Man movies have already said that aging works differently there. Did they have the FF in mind when they came up with that?

 

If you have time, I strongly recommend watching all 3 parts. He addresses many of your concerns. Personally, I think what he suggested in his 3 part series works incredibly well, and even Kevin Feige would have a hard time topping what has been suggested. I don't mind whether they get their powers from the Negative Zone or from cosmic rays, that is a much smaller issue. To me the more important thing is their powers and characters are true to the comics.

 

Still not a fan. The 60s thing becomes the biggest aspect of the team, the exploration and science takes a backseat in order to capitalize on that. You shouldn't add "fish out of water" to the team and it's not unique anymore when you have had both Captain America and Captain Marvel.

They already have character arcs and don't need a period piece to artificially add new ones. Plus it's frankly boring. Instead of having them explore new and imaginative places, they are discovering things about current society, something we the audience already know. Why cripple them like that? Especially Reed who is meant to the greatest mind, so far ahead of his time. You've set him back 60 years for no good reason.

The period piece idea is a misguided one there to fix a problem that doesn't exist in the first place. The team isn't outdated and have tons of comic book runs to prove it. It's an idea used to put the blame of Fox's failures on something inherent about the team rather than the company who were the real reason those films flopped.

The Fantastic Four don't need the 60s setting and are better off without it.

 

You know what, that is a really good point. I've never bought this idea that the FF is too corny and outdated to be successful in today's world. Nah, that's garbage. It's like saying moviegoers won't accept Galactus unless he's a cloud. Meanwhile, superheroes like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Captain America remain popular, even though they were created long before the FF? Not buying it for a second. Like you say, it's an excuse for Fox's failures. Time to put that nonsense to bed.

Now, if they want to say the FF got together back in the '60s, and were subsequently lost, I'm okay with it (don't need it, but I'm okay with it). Not because they don't fit in today, but because it establishes that they were a classic super team with a longer legacy than the Avengers, GoTG, etc. In fact, probably the world's first super-team, unless they intend to have an Invaders movie (which would be cool).

The downside, as you point out, is that it creates a problem with Reed Richards, because it puts him behind today's technology by about 50 years or more. He's smart enough to catch up, but still. If the FF has been lost in a Quantum Zone city, as some have theorized, perhaps there was technology there that would make up for it.

 

Considering this phase is dealing a lot with multiversal and cosmic stuff, what if instead of them being from a different time, they come from a different universe from the “sacred timeline”. Maybe this version of the team, in an effort to explore the vastness of space, gets caught in some sort of cosmic wave that not only alters them and gives them their powers, but also transports them to a parallel timeline. You still keep the “stranger in a strange land” aspect, with them being in a world they don’t recognize (different threats, different heroes, a world affected by “The Blip”), but without the old-fashioned “Gee, golly, shucks!” antics taking away from the whole exciting “Indiana Jones meets Sci-Fi” adventures. It’s still an aspect of the story, just not the main focus.

Or, I guess, you could just have them be from the main timeline and keep it simple. Just spitballing.

 

I wouldn’t mind the F4 from a different universe, actually but I do think it’s more interesting to have those characters from the main prime MCU reality just so we can see how the MCU we’ve been familiar with all this time informs the next cinematic iteration of the team.

 

Here’s what prominent comic writer who’s written for F4 a few times, most notably on Marvels had to say about this 60’s period piece idea:

 

I'm a little concerned that if they're from the '60s, the younger crowd is going to accept them as cool or whatever. It's just going to support the idea that they're yesterday's heroes. Why should they buy into that?

Stan created most of these heroes back in the '60s, but none of them are set in the '60s. Why should the FF be? The only reason people think they're outdated is because Fox hasn't adapted them to film well.

 

I actually see some merit to doing a 60’s set F4 movie if only because it’d be a fun era to explore in the MCU. We actually haven’t gotten a good peak of what the 60’s were like in the MCU. The best glimpses were in some flashback stuff in the Ant-Man films.

 

Then they can do that with a Sentry or Blue Marvel film. Characters who have been lost/forgotten to time and would actually suit a story set in that time period. Plus with Blue Marvel, the time period would actually matter in a really important way. The world not being ready for a black hero at that time is such an interesting thing to explore. Much better than having the FF be their simply for aesthetics.

With the FF, the 60s is does more harm than good. It takes away from the team and wastes time on something not necessary in the first place.

 

I agree with you, I much prefer a modern FF film but I’m just seeing I could also see some reason why some might want an F4 film as I think you could explore the 60’s MCU time period that way.


But as you point before, placing them in the 60’s only reaffirms this mistaken notion they’re antiquated and don’t work in modern day when many of the comics shows us that simply isn’t the case. And you are right that are better characters to explore that time period with than the F4.

I suspect much like with the rest of their properties, MCU F4 will be amalgamation of 616 and the Ultimates - drawing upon the best of each, and leaving behind the worst elements. That being I think a 60’s F4 film could still work but it wouldn’t be the best way to realize the team on screen especially when it’s infinitely more exciting for them to exist in the post Endgame timeline, where I think it’s easier to introduce them that way. You avoid the plot hole questions like why haven’t they been mentioned for all this time and I think take the opportunity to make them current, all without lose the essence of Stan and Jack’s vision.

 

Present day because The Fantastic Four is probably the EASIEST plug & play group story wise. Im tired of period pieces for the time being. Heck with present day there should also be even more interest in space exploration. We are not exactly seeing The Avengers or SHIELD help humanity get started on other Planets. So even with what humanity knows in present day they are still on their own space travel wise

 

i dont know dude, An MCU version of Madmen makes me salivate still. i love the 60s retro aesthetic. Wandavision nailed it and movies like Pleasantville make them more timeless

 

It wouldn't make them timeless it would make them just a dated as people claim. Having them in the 60s brings so many problems with it and the only reason for it outside of a misconception about them being dated is aesthetics... It's not worth all that trouble and messing up the FF just for aesthetics from a time the main demographic has no nostalgia for.

There are other, better suited characters that be used in the 60s. Where it would also benefit them outside of visuals. I say keep the FF in the present, the MCU is perfectly primed for their arrival right now with the 5 year gap and the vacuum the Avengers have left with most of them gone.

 

thats like saying Forrest Gump was set in different eras only for aethetics...also First Class. I dont think the 60s or whatever era should be done for aethetics alone. that is oversimplifying it and making a period piece seem unnecessary because reasons. if this were the case, there would be no period piece films and they wouldnt be their own category. setting a film in particular point in human history brings with it more than just different clothes and aethetics. you are talking about social political cultural economic changes - everything has changed in the last 100 years

 

A 60s FF and Forrest Gump are not comparable at all, you're trying to stawman my point when what I am saying is that for the Fantastic Four the only benefit would be aesthetics. Not every period piece ever made, where did that come from? Also, X-Men First Class was done specifically to show the beginning of the Fox X-Men. It made sense narratively to see Charles and Erik's relationship form. It's a prequel first and foremost, something the FF film won't be. Plus that film eventually messed up the timeline so bad they had to eventually make those films a new reality. A 60s FF would be even worse for the MCU timeline that didn't have public superheroes until 2008.

So I ask this question:
In what way would having them in the 60s benefit the characters and the property outside of aesthetics? Because right now I'm not seeing anything positive outside of that.

 

Yeah, look at our current times. We have billionaires building and shooting their own ships into space. Shouldn't be much of a "stretch" for a private corporation owned by Reed to fly their own space ship.

I've said this before, but the only positive thing I can think of out of it is that establishes that the FF preceded the Avengers in the timeline. Acknowledges their position as the first Marvel team.

I don't really care if they come from the '60s or not. But I keep hearing rumors of them being stuck in the quantum universe. And if that's the case, then they probably do come from the '60s. Unless they gain their powers in the quantum universe, which I think is a crap idea.

 

the main benefit too having a period piece (at least for the origin) would be to bypass the Origin/and learning period(of developing their powers) in the present setting, allowing them to be a per-established Team... being able to show highlights through flashbacks of how they got their powers, or learned to use them, instead of that being part of the story arc of the modern plot

I agree, having them as publicly established/known team in the past (without have had any mention up to this point) might be slightly problematic

but, if it's just their origin an them secretly training outside of the public knowledge , before mysteriously disappearing (rather its, stuck in the quantum universe, or other such story) that takes place in the past, only to recently re-emerge in present day

that way there's already that group dynamic/ power development... an they can get right into action

 

The FF has never been a secret, undercover team though. Which isn't to say they couldn't be in a movie, but it's definitely straying from the source material. Reed wanted the team to be public heroes, as compensation for their losing their normal lives in the accident.

 

not necessarily operating in secret on actual missions... but, wanting to develop/understand their powers fully before revealing publicly

 

I personally don't want the origin skipped. I want to see them grow into the team we know and not have that skipped over. The trick is to not spend so much time in how they got their powers, that was the mistake of the previous films. The flight can be told in 10 minutes at most and then we can get into the good stuff. The first issue shows how to do this, the flight is told in 2 pages and then we get into it.

There's no point in having them be from the 60s if you're gonna skip over it. Having them be from the present is just so much simpler in the long run and doesn't make them look dated.

 

What, you mean you don't want an entire movie focusing on how the team is captured and studied by the military, and turned into a sort of Suicide Squad by the government, like in that horrible Josh Trank movie?

Technically, their origin is told in flashback in the very first issue. I agree it should be done quickly though, and move on.