Doug: Who the heck is running Fox and why are they intent on destroying all we know and love about the Fantastic Four? In earlier news, we learned of the very strong possibility that the Human Torch will be played by an African-American actor while the role of the Invisible Girl (his sister, mind you) will be played by a Caucasian actress.
Doug: Now today comes a wonderment of wonderments -- could the role of Dr. Doom be cast as a woman?
is the release date April 1st? only explanation I can think of...!
ReplyDeleteHe will wreak a terrible vengeance on Earth-prime for this.
ReplyDeleteBut, then again, Loki got used to it, actually seemed to enjoy it,so...
The first thing that came to mind when I saw that picture was that this is an idea for one of those porn parodies...
ReplyDeleteHowever, I'm going to step out of my comics curmudgeon shoes for a second and say that I could live with a Lady Doom and the Storms as half-siblings, if - and this is a big if - whoever writes the script is up to the task.
And I know Matt probably wasn't thinking of this when he made his April 1st comment, but I can also see this working as a lightly satirical outing, but still with lots of great fight scenes and explosions. But I'm really skeptical that anyone at Fox or present-day Marvel will do anything but try to play this really, overly seriously and give us some more sucky FF films.
I think Fox and Marvel should have taken the clue from the Incredibles, and just chose the animated route for FF.
I suppose it couldn't be worse than depicting Dr Doom as an annoyed businessman or Galactus as a cloud.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how they were supposed to depict Galactus in a film. A giant guy in purple tights with an antenna on his head?
ReplyDeleteI want a Marvel's The Avengers level movie for Marvel's first family. I don't care who plays what role. Make a good movie. A GOOD MOVIE!!!! Did anyone question Heimdall's casting in Thor/Thor 2? In Norse mythology, he's one of the 12 gods. In Marvel, he's Sif's brother. Not half-brother, brother.
ReplyDeleteBuild it and they will come!!!
The Prowler (wondering what Matt got for his birthday).
Doesn't bother me at all. Without this kind of re-casting we'll never have the kind of racial and gender parity that Marvel comics should have. Some folks argue make something *new* if you want that, but we all know how likely new things are to succeed. . .
ReplyDeleteAs for the Johnny/Sue Storm black/white siblings thing - I don't see why it'd have to be explained in the movie at all. They are sibling, someway or somehow - viewers are sophisticated enough to imagine the possibilities w/o an explanation being shoehorned in.
Why is Hollywood so hell bent on never making a decent Fantastic Four movie? It's almost like there's a conspiracy.
ReplyDeleteThe African American Johnny Storm was enough to make me 90% not want to see this. A female Doctor Doom would put the nail in the coffin. (And not because I have anything against African Americans or women). I just like comic book movies to at least somewhat resemble the source material they are SUPPOSED to be based on.
The FF was the first Marvel Comic and thus it is the genesis from which the rest of the Marvel U sprang. So, of all the Marvel properties, the FF is the most sacred and should be treated with due respect in remaining faithful to their origins.
So, what's going to happen is that they are going to make a terrible movie that no one will want to see. Then the producers will say that people just won't support a Fantastic Four movie.
It's a self-fullfilling prophecy. Make a comic book movie that is not at all faithful to what people know about the characters, (See Catwoman, Elektra, Batman and Robin, The first Hulk movie, etc.) and it's going to FAIL!! But it will be all our (the fans) fault. Yeah right.
I don't really care what ethnic background they give the characters as long as the script is good and the actors are able.
ReplyDeleteBlack Nick Fury worked because Sam Jackson is an awesome actor. But I did think it was strange to have a black Heimdall in a movie about Scandinavian gods! Black Johnny Storm is ok if they get a great actor.
ReplyDeleteBut, black Nick Fury had already been created in the Ultimate universe. Since most of us figured out pretty early that the Marvel movies were channeling the Ultimate Universe rather than the MU, there didn't seem to be too much squawking from fandom.
ReplyDeleteDitto on the Heimdall casting, but it didn't bother me. That being said, has anyone seen any other black Asgardians in the two Thor films? Asgard must not be that diverse...
Doug
Actually, Doug, in the movies Hogun is played by an Asian actor, so there's a little bit of diversity there...
ReplyDelete@Anonymous. Galactus doesn't wear tights, it's armor. Has the fandom inferiority complex gotten so out of control the movies now have to gratuitously apologize for costumes that aren't even tights? Any effects team worth a damn could pull Galactus off. Making him a cloud is ridiculous.
ReplyDeletehttp://static1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090305020323/marveldatabase/images/5/52/Galactus_(Earth-6109).jpg
As long as the fanboys wearing rose colored glasses continue to support these gross aberrations via the box office, there won't be any reason for Hollywood to stop perverting and disrespecting Stan Lee's vision. I feel bad for Stan to have to cameo in a movie he's obviously not going to like any more than we will. It's a shame, and i do agree that it's almost like a conspiracy fueled by a disdain against the source material at this point.
ReplyDeleteUPDATE: You can read it here yourself.
ReplyDeleteDoug
I certainly do like the no-nonesense, right-to-the-source, rumor-squelching, final-word access that the social media affords us,Doug, I must say! Good on director Josh for completely disregarding the "coy" route and giving straightforward answers to the rumor mill. Boy, folks did get into it a bit in that comments section, though.
ReplyDeleteSean, I have to say that you may be taking on more belligerence on Stan's behalf than he would ever, ever take on himself regarding how these characters are portrayed in film and on television. From what I've seen, in fact, he was WILDLY enthusiastic about TURN OFF THE DARK on Broadway even in its initial Julie Taymore incarnation--- which looks to have been a first-rate abomination, and certainly a looooong way away (according to Julie's own conceptual commentary) from Stan's original intent and vision for the character.
Stan gets that movies and comics are different, I'm pretty sure, and that they have to reflect contemporary society a bit better. And seems to be nothing short of delighted to be associated with the current incarnations of the characters he helped to create. Now, realistically, for Johnny & Sue to be clearly two different races, that probably means same mother, two fathers-- or that there was an adoption. But geeze, that's not a bit implausible. My quibble is actually that Johnny's a hot-headed jerk (more or less), and it seems lame to have him be the one cast as a black character. You know who could certainly be cast as a black character, and it should have no bearing at all on the story or anything? Reed. NO REASON why Reed has to be a white guy. Just have to find the ri---- omigod, even as I'm typing this (no kidding) it hit me: Denzel Washington would probably be about the most perfect Reed Richards out there. I mean, black, white or blue-- he's. . . he may be perfect. Handsome, exudes intelligence and control, strongly charismatic, about the right age (maybe a touch old these days). Oh man. . . someone get hold of that director, he's about to miss a PERFECT opportunity. . . !
HB