Most people will think of the three feature films from 2005, 2007 and 2015 when they think of The Fantastic Four, which were not well received, to say the least. But the superheroes already appeared in the comic book of the same name by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1961. The team consists of Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch and The Thing. The four are a family and obtained their superpowers through a failed space mission. Since then, they have acted as protectors of their own earth.
“I was mainly inspired by the comics, not by the previous films,” director Matt Shakman tells NU.nl. He doesn’t want to say too much about those earlier attempts. “But I have seen them and enjoyed them. They were made with heart and soul. Many fans love them.”
Yet it is already clear from the trailer that Shakman is taking a completely different approach. The director, who previously worked on series such as WandaVision and Game of Thrones, has chosen a completely new cast. Just like in the comic books, the story takes place in a kind of futuristic sixties.
Shakman also got the chance to set up a completely new world within the Marvel Universe. The Fantastic Four do not live in the same Marvel universe where many films have taken place in recent years. Well-known faces such as The Hulk, Spider-Man or Ant-Man will therefore not appear for the time being, unless, of course, the multiverse is traveled through.
“Ultimately, The Fantastic Four will meet other well-known characters,” says Shakman. “But for now I had my own corner within the Marvel universe. That felt like enormous creative freedom.”
With the reintroduction of the well-known Marvel family comes a star cast, of course. Among others, Pedro Pascal (Mister Fantastic/Reed Richards), Vanessa Kirby (Invisible Woman/Sue Storm), Joseph Quinn (Human Torch/Johnny Storm) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Thing/Ben Grimm) are playing a role in a Marvel film for the first time.
“I have never worked on such a large production,” says Moss-Bachrach, known from the successful series The Bear. “The sets were huge and elaborated in detail. For example, we filmed several scenes on a shopping street set.”
“Months later we came back and everything had changed: different products in the shop windows, a different film on the marquee of the cinema, even a few shops had gone bankrupt. Truly unbelievable.”
In addition to the scale of the production, the actors also had to learn to deal with something typical of Marvel: strict confidentiality. Storylines are strictly guarded and little can be revealed in interviews. Everything must be a surprise on the big screen. This has gone wrong in the past. Spider-Man actor Tom Holland in particular found it difficult to keep spoilers to himself.
“Even before you record a scene, you already get a briefing about the confidentiality obligation,” says Ralph Ineson, who plays the villain Galactus. “And coincidentally, the man who explains that is a pretty muscular guy.” Julia Garner, who plays Silver Surfer, also found it difficult. “It’s actually very strange: you have to promote something, but you’re hardly allowed to say anything about it.”
Shakman is confident that the film will be a success. “It is a unique Marvel film, because The Fantastic Four are a real family with a big heart, but things can also get messy. I think many viewers can therefore empathize with the characters.” According to him, the film is also suitable for everyone. “It’s fun for Marvel fans, but you can also enjoy it if you’ve never seen a Marvel film.”