After years of waiting and decades of disappointing films, the Fantastic Four will finally be getting a movie in the MCU. It’s about time that Marvel’s first family got some proper treatment in the movie department and the MCU is the place to get it. Kevin Feige has yet to confirm exactly when we’ll see the team, but he did hint at it. If anything, it confirms Marvel is currently working on a plan to bring them in and what to do with them. Where Fox failed, Marvel will surely succeed in brining us some actually watchable Fantastic Four movies.
I for one am very confident they will deliver, but it’s honestly hard not to dwell on past movies. They failed in so many ways to make the team memorable and even fun to watch. The last one we got was Josh Trank’s 2015 movie, which made dumpster fire look good. It was bad, simple as that, but it has its uses. The mistakes of Trank’s movie and previous movies should be looked at and learned from if the MCU Fantastic Four movie is going to work. Marvel, I seriously implore you to listen.
Here are five things the MCU Fantastic Four movie needs to be successful.
5. More Action
If you think this sounds counterintuitive, go back and watch the last Fantastic Four movies. Trank’s movie and Tim Story’s two movies both lacked memorable action scenes. Great action should be a vital ingredient in any comic book movie. Why those movies lacked it is beyond me, but the MCU has always given us some awesome action scenes. The Fantastic Four contains four different kinds of heroes with unique powers and all of them can be put to use. When they do put their powers to use, the effects have to be good as well. Remember that final battle in Trank’s movie? Yeah, no.
The MCU Fantastic Four movie just needs more action. It sounds simple, but the last films failed on that aspect so much it was frustrating. It doesn’t matter who they fight, they just need to flex their muscles and show their teamwork skills.
4. Don’t Cast Very Young People
Another sin of Trank’s film was casting actors who were basically young men and women. If you didn’t know how old the actors were, they could literally pass as teenagers. This could’ve been an interesting take on the team, but it unfortunately led to no where. The Fantastic Four in Marvel Comics are grown adults, not too old, but not very young. John Krasinski recently commented that he would still be very interested in playing the part of Mr. Fantastic, a role that would actually suit him well. His wife, Emily Blunt, has also been a popular choice to take up the role of The Invisible Woman. Krasinski is forty-years-old and Blunt is thirty-seven. You ask me, that’s the perfect age gap for both characters.
If Marvel is considering Krasinski and Blunt for the parts, they would fit. I strongly believe that just casting adult actors would make for a better cast. Making them older just makes the characters wiser, more experienced, and just more believable to watch. The Fantastic Four needs to be adults and not moody teens. End of story.
3. Keep The Family Element
What separates The Fantastic Four from other superhero teams is that they are a family. Even before they got their powers, they were close, and actually received their powers together. From traveling into outer space, to fighting off alien invaders, and even raising children under their roof, no superhero team is tighter than this one. This is something Trank’s movie failed at, but Story’s movie actually did well. His version showed the team bickering like a family, living together like a family, and coming together like a family. Sure, his movies lacked action, but at least his Fantastic Four had fun together.
The MCU Fantastic Four movie’s most important element should be family. Reed and Sue should already be married and that needs to be explored. They can have a failing marriage or a stable one, but their feelings for each other is the glue that keeps the team together. Sue and Johnny Storm are brother and sister, which is something we don’t get to see in comics too often. How many brother and sister superhero duos are out there fighting together? This can lead to some relatable chemistry and hilarious bickering. Speaking of bickering, Johnny Storm’s relationship with Ben Grimm, or The Thing, would be fun to see. The two are known for having a love/hate relationship which leads to some childlike banter between the two.
All of the Fantastic Four share a special relationship with each other and it all ties back to that family element. This element can separate the MCU Fantastic Four from The Avengers and The Guardians of the Galaxy. An MCU movie about family? I’d say go for it.
2. Show Some Connections To Other Marvel Characters
There’s a popular rumor floating around about the movie that explains the whereabouts of the team. If The Fantastic Four existed in the MCU all this time, why haven’t they surfaced to help The Avengers? The rumor explains how the team actually existed in the 80’s. Reed made a device for them to be transported into The Negative Zone and they have been trapped there ever since. Further details behind that rumor stop there, but if this is true, it can work for the movie. If they really were trapped in The Negative Zone, their young appearances would stick with them. This will re-create some Captain America-like qualities and bring a new fish out of water element to the MCU.
Adjusting to the modern age would be difficult for the team, but Reed’s immense intelligence would help them thrive pretty quickly. Having him around should even lead to some improvements for modern technology, which can lead to some interesting interactions with other Marvel characters. Keep in mind who else existed during the 80’s in the MCU. Howard Stark’s dad, Peggy Carter, and especially Hank Pym. One crucial similarity between Hank and Reed is their passion for science. Two brilliant minds can work together, but maybe they did before? Could Reed have been a protege to the young Hank Pym? This possible connection could lead to some interesting development and relationships for the future of the MCU.
1. Have A Villain Other Than Doctor Doom
Yes, you read that correctly. The Fantastic Four’s greatest enemy shouldn’t be the first enemy they fight in the MCU. First of all, he was already the big bad in all of the Fantastic Four movies. What every version had in common was that it was forgettable. Doom is one of Marvel’s best villains, so how can he be used in the MCU? Some rumors suggest he may be a villain the next Black Panther film, something that makes sense, given his enmity with the hero. His ultimate rival is the Fantastic Four, but a villain of his status require more development. He has been a major foe to every Marvel superhero team and even a reluctant ally. This should be explored in the MCU, and can even set Doom up to be the next Thanos.
So who are the Fantastic Four going to fight instead of Doom? Their rogues gallery is bigger than you think, including a variety of cosmic villains like Galactus and The Skrulls. This might sound strange, but one villain I’m pulling for is Mole Man. On paper, he sounds like a lame choice, but the MCU has surprised us with characters like him before. If you need a reminder, just look back at Ant-Man, another character who sounded lame on paper, but proved to be a great character. Mole Man is a odd character that can pose a serious threat to the team, given his unstable nature and army of mole men. An odd choice, for sure, but replacing him with Doom would introduce more characters and remind fans that he’s not their only villain. Trust me, they got a good bunch.
Final Thoughts:
The MCU Fantastic Four movie won’t be a part of Phase Four, but will hopefully be in Phase Five. We just have to be patient for a while and it will pay off. I’ve listed the best elements that I believe the film needs to be successful, and if Marvel learns from the mistakes of the past FF movies, their own film can work.
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