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Will we ever get a good Fantastic Four movie?

January 12th, 2016 by Irwin Fletcher Comments

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When it comes to superhero movies, there are a lot of hits and misses. The first couple of Batman movies were good, the middle batch not so much, and then they returned to form. There have been some great X-Men flicks and some terrible X-Men flicks. Although generally liked in the Avengers films, the Hulk doesn’t seem to be able to carry a whole movie himself.

And then there is the Fantastic Four.

Starting in 2005, there have been three Fantastic Four movies, and the title could not be more ironic. As of this writing, their Rotten Tomatoes score is a 73. That’s the score for all three movies combined. The most recent one couldn’t even crack double figures and is currently sitting at a whopping nine (Michael B. Jordan must be even more thankful that Creed ended up being a good movie).

With Hollywood being Hollywood, one day there will surely be plans to reboot or remake or re-whatever this franchise. But can a movie ever work? It can if a focus is put on these areas.

The Cast

According to this article, none of the three movies has gotten the casting right. The actors have been too young, not young enough, or just plain wrong for the roles. As Hollywood seems to always be set on casting hot (mostly young) actors, this could be difficult, but not impossible.

Forget the Origin Story

Fans already know it and other people aren’t that concerned about it. Just get to the good stuff already!

Stop the Love Triangle

What makes for a great superhero movie? Compelling good guys, evil bad guys, and a lot of action and fighting. That’s about it. We really don’t need anything more than that. This love triangle nonsense they keep trying in the Fantastic Four is just annoying and distracting.

Make it Fun

The fun factor will mostly have to be left up the screenwriter and director, but there has to be a million ways to do this without being silly. The makers should just look at other movies for inspiration, like the ones starring the Avengers.

Video games could be another source of inspiration if needed. The Fantastic Four video games are much more critically acclaimed than the movies, and even the ones that don’t have a ton of action offer a lot of fun. Take the two jackpot games featuring the Fantastic Four on this platform, both of which are more enjoyable than any of the film versions. Not only that, but they’re simplistic experiences, which brings me back to the previous point of just getting to the good stuff without all the fluff!

Work on Dr. Doom

If it feels like the folks who make these films do not know much about comics, superheroes, or these particular characters, you’re probably right. There will never be a good Fantastic Four movie without a great villain, and Dr. Doom is one of the best. Someone needs to do some research and find out what makes him tick.

Get Animated

As this piece suggests, an animated version of the Fantastic Four may be one of the only ways to save the franchise, comparing it to The Incredibles. This seems like a very good option and would even open the door for future superhero movies to follow suit.

The Director

Is there enough money in Hollywood to get J.J. Abrams on board? Not to get all Star Wars-y here, but “Help us J.J. Abrams, you’re our only hope.”

What do you think? Can the Fantastic Four actually make for a decent movie, or is the foursome destined for cinematic garbage?

I'm an LA journalist who really lives for his profession. I have also published work as Jane Doe in various mags and newspapers across the globe. I normally write articles that can cause trouble but now I write for FTN because Nerds are never angry, so I feel safe.