Those of you more observant viewers may recall my attempt at doing a series of Fantastic Four movie pitches. I kind of stopped doing that when I got to Namor, but much like my inspiration to pitch some X-Men film ideas from the Disney/Fox merger, I'm feeling quite creative in the way of The Fantastic Four. So this isn't necessarily a movie pitch, more like character bios for what the Fantastic Four (and their greatest villain) should be like.
The only thing I want to clarify is that-in my personal opinion-The Fantastic Four should have gone into space in the 1960's, got stuck in The Negative Zone, and landed back on Earth in the year 2018. So along with handling the use of their superpowers they must also find their place in modern day society.
The Thing
Ben Grimm is the modern day, Blue Collar Dad character who likes football, liquor, cigars, and gambling. His character arc is learning to accept himself for what he is. This is probably the most obvious arc for the character, but adding to this would public response. People wouldn't be necessarily afraid of him, they've seen Thor and The Hulk on TV before. They would probably be uncomfortable or curious. Like, children would want to ask him questions about his powers, but adults would pull them away and avoid Ben. He would definitely need his girlfriend from the comics Alicia Masters-who's blind by the way. So long as that relationship is kept in tact his brooding might be lessened. Also there needs to be some excuse for him to fight The Hulk. Maybe The Puppetmaster can create a clone of The Hulk or The Hulk is controlled by the Puppetmaster or something. At some point have him realize without his powers he couldn't save someone's life, completing his arc and establishing him as both the muscle and the big brother of the team. And make "Clobbering Time" a line he got from professional wrestling or something.
The Human Torch
Ignore all Chris Evans jokes. Make Johnny Storm a twenty-one year old heartthrob whose only claim to glory is his charm and good looks. He can be into cars too, because that's an actual characteristic with him. When he gets to 2018 his arc is maturing in a fast foward kind of way because in 2018 being young, handsome, talentless and self-absorbed is just being a Youtube vlogger. So do that, have him be the comic relief who records the adventures of the Fantastic Four and does merchandising and commercials. Have him be a young Tony Stark with how smug and clever he is. He doesn't have to understand everything Reed says, but getting the basics and translating them for the audience's sake would be a nice touch. You also need some excuse for him to meet Spider-Man. Maybe, second movie or so, Johnny tries to go solo thinking his family is slowing him down, he gets his butt kicked by The Rhino or something until Spider-Man shows up. Spidey gives him a heart-to-heart, telling him how lucky he is to have a family of people with powers. By the end Johnny is still an ego with a sense of humor, but he has more honor and humility than before.
The Invisible Woman
In this instance, Susan Storm is already married to Reed Richards, she about half as smart as him, she's the supportive mother/sister of the team even before we put a baby in her, and being a wife from the 1960's her arc in 2018 would be finding her own identity independent of her husband. Doing things on her own, struggling with finding a middle ground between being strong and independent and being loyal and reliable. Like, in an arc spanning two or three films, we need to see Susan be told by supporting characters just how unfair it is she's so committed while Reed is so busy with his work. And we need to see Sue defend Reed, basically tell people it's her job as a wife to remain loyal and supportive throughout, but also realize how bad it looks to the general public. If you were to describe Reed and Sue's relationship it would seem like Sue is getting poor treatment, but if part of a film was Reed realizing this and trying to be a better husband while Sue sticks to her guns, ignores what people may think, and the two become comfortable with their relationship I think that could be really good. We really haven't seen a relationship like that in a superhero movie and it'd be really socially conscious for these characters to say "it doesn't matter what you think it is by looking at it, because we know what it really is and we like it". A relationship is between two people and instead of letting people's comments go right through her, Susan's arc would be refusing to hide-wink, wink-from the comments.
Mr. Fantastic
Reed Richards was one of the smartest men on Earth. In the 60's anyway. His first arc would be catching up with how technology and science have changed over the past few decades and ultimately realizing his studies and struggle to catch up has built a wall between him and his family. Get that "distant and oblivious" phase out of the way early. Other than his development with Sue, Reed's other character arc would be his pessimism towards this futute. As a scientist he had an idea of what 2018 could look like, if he stayed in the 60's we may have flying cars and the cure to all disease by now. But he missed it all, and he finds is his job to make up for it now by advancing science as fast as he can. Meanwhile, having some resentment for his powers and his family's powers. How can he fix the world's powers when everyone is so distracted by the things they can do? How can he be seen as a scientist when everyone wants him to be a hero? So his arc is learning to do both and accept both, for him to know his duty as a hero is just as important. And make him a family man by the end because far too many times as Reed been seen as a "science before all else" kind of guy. He has a council of multiversal counterparts who watch over the multiverse, have him defect from them because he's the only version of Reed to see the meaning of family. In the face of discovery and cosmic awareness have him choose him family over the opportunity.
Doctor Doom
Okay, film makers. Doctor Doom. Does not. Just shoot lightning. Okay? Okay. Unlike The Fantastic Four, Doctor Doom does not time travel, he does not get his powers from space, and he is not an American billionaire. Victor Von Doom did all the shit he did in the comics, met the four of them in college, went back to Latvaria and conquered it using sorcery and science, and is now king of the country-which itself is like a North Korea type of country. In the 1960's he's already Doctor Doom and he just rules his country in solitude. And-because sorcerers like The Ancient One have clearly shown the ability to slow down aging via magic-in the year 2018 he is still the same age. That's how you avoid fighting the elderly. By the year 2018 he has already time travelled and jumped dimensions and battled Gods and clashed with Doctor Strange. Maybe he makes some reference to the good doctor. He is the basic summery of Doctor Doom and in his boredom he has only become more powerful in all forms of magic and science. I wouldn't give him his own film, but build him up in a sequel because you cannot do a Fantastic Four origin AND a full explanation of Doctor Doom in one film. Or at least you shouldn't. When The Fantastic Four return from space in 2018, Doom-who had hoped Richards died in space-is forced out of solitude by his intellectual rival returning. Maybe Doom never found The Negative Zone and wants to learn more about it before Reed does, maybe he unleashes the villain Annihius from the Negative Zone and The FF gotta fight him. Have Doom hate Reed because Reed managed to be super-smart AND have a family like Doom couldn't. That would help give this badass villain-who'd wipe the floor with The FF-some reason for being who he is. We just can't have a version of Doctor Doom is armored like Iron Man, scientific like Mr. Fantastic, and magic like Doctor Strange without having the characteristics that make him his own character.
So, yeah, Marvel. Do that.
Thanks for reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment