Fantastic Four...What's Next and How can it be Salvaged?

It’s been well documented that people aren’t loving the new Fantastic Four film by Fox. The film is the the worst reviewed Marvel film as well as the lowest grossing Marvel film in history. In the midst of all this, Fox has not canceled their planned Fantastic Four sequel for 2017. Some are in the support of this, believing that the studio could perhaps make a decent film with this cast in the hands of a different director. Others disagree seeing a possible deal with Marvel Studios as the better option. For years now, fans have begged for the film rights to Fantastic Four to be returned to Marvel but this seems to be very unlikely based on the relationship between the two studios. I don’t exactly steer to either side as Fox has proven with the X-Men films that they are capable of making solid comic-book films. I do however believe that these characters should be left alone for at least 7-10 years. It’s going to be a while before audiences can buy into a Fantastic Four film, as a result of the mediocre films that they have gotten, and it would be best to honor this. Fox however does not have this option as the rights to the characters would revert back to Marvel in the event that they have no Fantastic Four films in development. So most likely, Fox is going to move forward with a sequel in an attempt to not only salvage the characters but also to keep the rights.

But lets have some fun here. What if the rights returned back to Marvel in 2022( approximately the time when the would conceivably return to Marvel if there were no films already in development) and they moved forward with a Fantastic Four film of their own? What would it be like? What would it even be about? Based on where the Marvel Cinematic Universe is going, this films would take shape after every Marvel film that has been announced thus far. The Avengers will have fought Thanos. The Inhumans will have made their silver-screen debut and the very shape of the MCU would be entirely different. This would leave an opening for a Fantastic Four series of films to debut and pump life back into the MCU after its ultimate culmination. The film would undeniably be fun as it would have the Marvel tone but would also be very different from anything we’ve scene. Marvel Studios prides itself on distinguishing their films with the GOTG being their space-opera, Captain America being the spy-thriller, and Ant-Man being simply a heist film. It would even make sense for the studio to explore other Fantastic Four villains as they would work to separate their film from Fox’s version. But all of this is hypothetical. How about we have some more fun?

What is the best way to make a Fantastic Four film. Many may say that there is no definitive best way, but there is a way that does the characters the most justice. The way I see it, a proper Fantastic Four film is vastly different from what we’ve ever seen before in comic book movies. To explain…

The setting is obviously important to this film as it would play a major role in the narratives of the story. In my opinion, a Fantastic Four film should be a period-piece set in the 60s. This allows the film to take advantage of all of the corny and psychedelic subject matter of the comics. In the early 60s when the comic debuted, it was an instant hit as it was so unique and idea of where science and society had gone up until that point. The film should show this and have fun with this as it can become more compelling by how strange it gets. There’s so much that can be done with this as it adds automatic character development to the team. The character of Sue Storm has changed alot over the years as she was first imagined as your typical image of domesticity. She was the wife and voice of reason for the family but lacked actual character development beyond that. The film can play with this idea, having her evolve before the audience's eyes. This team has always been a sign of innovation and evolution in the comics. Heck…Reed Richards is commonly donned the smartest human in the Marvel universe. Show this. Have fun with it. The 60s were even a time of major advancements for NASA and other scientist alike. Have fun with that idea, putting Reed Richards at the forefront of all of this. Remember how cool it was when Matthew Vaughn inserted the X-Men right in the center of the Cuban Missile Crisis in X-Men First Class? Imagine a film where the shape-shifting Skrulls invaded Earth and influenced the Cold War. Imagine the evil Dr. Doom of Latveria waging war on America and the rest of the world as we know it. Imagine Namor The Submariner and Atlantis having something to say about the constantly rising use of nuclear warfare. Imagine Galactus and his Silver Surfer out to destroy Earth at the dawn of exterrestrial travel. This all may seem crazy, but I’m just trying to get across how these films should be fun, smart, and witty. Don’t feel pressured to use Dr. Doom in the first film. You can introduce a smaller threat and have the team build credibility by defeating them before you introduce the biggest villain in the Marvel Universe. Feel free to explore the world of the Fantastic Four. Part of what made the comics special were the many wacky characters that were introduced in its pages. Huge characters such as the Inhumans, Annihilus, and the Skrulls were introduced in Fantastic Four comics. Never be afraid to push the boundary.

Furthermore, by inserting the Fantastic Four into the 60s, you’d be inserting them into a time of racial and socio-economic disparity. This all is important as the team could shine as a symbol of what people should be. Loving, compassionate and most of all...heroic.

I've said it before, but this film should thematically feel like The Incredibles. Remember how that film was able to tackle actual family issues such as the midlife crisis and raising teenagers while still telling a compelling story about a superhero team? That’s what a proper Fantastic Four film should feel like. An what family dynamic more profound than the 60s family dynamic. This was before the age of career-bound parents and children that are always on the move. These were the days when families ate together in the dining room and were comfortable being together. All of this should be very important to the film as this ultimately is what would give the film heart. It wasn’t exactly a complex plot and overly convoluted evil plan of Syndrome that made the Incredibles special. It was the family aspect. That film prided itself on being a simple narrative that had a certain intimacy with its main characters.

This is just my humble opinion. This doesn’t even logically fit into the the plans of Fox or Marvel and is solely hypothetical. I’m sure others may see a proper Fantastic Four film as something different based on whatever incantation of the characters they may have read but this comes close to the original version. despite what version is used, the one thing that should always be paramount is that the Fantastic Four are a family. Not just a team.