This week, I wanted to briefly relay some news about three different Marvel screen projects. The first is Scarlet Witch-related….
You may have heard/read rumors even as long as a year (or more) ago about a Scarlet Witch solo project, possibly based on a comics series from 2015. Well, last month Camila Servello of FanSided reported that the rumors “have gotten a little louder and harder to ignore.” But, calling it a “Scarlet Witch solo project” does not seem accurate, and Elizabeth Olsen is so far not even attached.
While, the Scarlet Witch might still be a supporting player, the live-action series would center on one of her twin sons — you know, the children she magically created as part of her “WandaVision” delusion. Specifically, the star would be “an Asgardian reincarnation of” Wiccan. Olsen’s absence, however, has her fans making noises of disappointment and frustration.
Personally, I would be only marginally interested in a SW solo project, and I have no interest in a show about Wiccan for various reasons. But, for those who are, this could be interesting.
The other day it was announced that Marvel was replacing Tom Holland in the next Spider-Man project. That certainly got my attention, as I’m sure it did many. But, of course, the news is not quite as tragic as it sounds at first.
This has nothing to do with the Spider-Man movie franchise that Holland currently stars in and enjoys much fan approval for. Rather, the project in question is “Spider-Man: Freshman Year”, a new animated series written and executive produced by Jeff Trammel. Reasons have not been revealed, but Marvel has hired Hudson Thames to voice our spectacular hero in this series. You may remember that Thames did a great job with the same role in Marvel’s “What If…?”, and he has also signed on to voice Peter/Spidey in the upcoming “Marvel’s Zombies” series.
“Spider-Man: Freshman Year” will be a bit different, though.
“[It will be] among the first to hail from Marvel Studios as a Disney Plus original series which won’t be connected to the main MCU timeline. This is something that has already created confusion among fans but will allow Marvel to tell new stories featuring a new cast of characters.”
Additional voice cast include Eugene Byrd (“Spidey and His Amazing Friends”) as ‘Lonnie Lincoln’, Grace Song (“Launchpad”) as ‘Nico Minoru’, Hugh Dancy (“Hannibal”) as ‘Otto Octavius’, Kari Wahlgren (“Star Trek: Lower Decks”) as ‘Aunt May’, and Zeno Robinson (“Transformers: Earthspark”) as ‘Harry Osborn’. Charlie Cox will also be “appearing” as Daredevil. Premiere date could be as early as Dec. 15, 2023 but probably 2024.
I rarely watch animated series (“What If…?” being an exception), but even if I did, I wouldn’t have a problem with any of this casting, particularly for an alternate timeline setting.
Hot on the heels of my post last week regarding casting for the upcoming Fantastic Four film (2025) is this tidbit.
No casting news as yet, but as per MovieWeb‘s Anthony Lund,
“[W]hile promoting the upcoming Apple TV+ Godzilla series ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’, director Matt Shakman has given a positive update on how the Fantastic Four is now coming together. In an interview with Collider’s Steve Weintraub, Shakman revealed that everything is seemingly in place for the film to get cameras rolling in the UK in Spring 2024.”
In regards to the film itself, Shakman added,
“[W]e are doing things very differently from a story standpoint, from an approach to the filmmaking standpoint, that really fits the material. I wish I could say more. I would love to, but I can’t. But I think it’s going to be unlike anything you’ve seen before, and certainly unlike anything at Marvel that you’ve seen before.”
Sounds intriguing, and I like his enthusiasm. The Marvel films and series have benefited from a bit of creativity lately (“WandaVision” in particular), and I sincerely hope that whatever Shakman et al. have in mind for the FF does the property justice and pleases fans old and new.
As most anyone who is into the Marvel Cinematic Universe knows, now that Marvel owns the rights to the Fantastic Four again, the company is planning yet another reboot of Marvel’s “first family”. Matt Shakman (“WandaVision”) is signed on to helm the project. He worked on a screenplay with Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer, then Josh Friedman was hired to re-write the script, possibly to strengthen the sci-fi elements. Premiere date is currently scheduled for May 2, 2025 — delayed from the original Feb. 14, 2025, date.
Several months ago, it was claimed — or, perhaps “rumored”? — that Antonio Banderas had been offered the role of cosmic supervillain / force of Nature, Galactus. I haven’t heard anything about this for awhile, so if there was anything to the rumor, maybe Banderas turned it down. I’m not even sure I like the idea of another attempt at Galactus, since the garishly-dressed and -helmeted giant version from the comics might not “translate” well to the big screen without getting laughed at. On the other hand, it couldn’t get much worse than the giant purple space cloud version that we saw in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). (Otoh, I always assumed that the cloud merely concealed Galactus’ true appearance.)
No word at the time on if they would also cast a new Silver Surfer or use another herald. For me, SS must be the one to announce Galactus’s impending visit to the doomed inhabitants of Earth. That is an important element in Marvel comics lore and the history between Galactus, Silver Surfer, and the Fantastic Four. But, given the liberties taken with such things in the past, I doubt such concerns hold much weight with Disney/Marvel. This may be a moot point for this 2025 FF movie, though, if Galactus only has a cameo appearance (without a herald), much like Thanos did in a few of the early MCU movies.
If Galactus does indeed show up in the film, I assume they will either have the Galactus actor just do voiceover OR they will green-screen and motion capture him as a giant humanoid, though maybe not in a comics-accurate costume. I might be OK with that. If it’s Banderas, this would eliminate the issue of his being only 5’8.5″ and over 60 y.o. (Not very imposing of a figure.) As much as I have liked Banderas in certain roles (e.g., in the Zorro and Desperado films, The 13th Warrior), I would rather not have him portray Galactus. He doesn’t feel like a good fit to me, and his voice and accent are wrong for the part. That may sound unfair, but I just think there must be better options. Someone that can bring some gravitas to the role.
Around the same time as the Banderas stuff, we saw rumors that Mila Kunis was being eyed for the role of Susan Storm / Invisible Woman. Kunis flat-out denied it, but we all know that actors sometimes do that if they are still “in negotiations” for a role or just because the studio isn’t ready to publicly announce that someone has been cast. (Otoh, it has been around 5 months, already.) Some people, however, have speculated that she is being courted for a different role in the movie, possibly even a female version of The Thing.
Now, there was in fact a woman in the comics named Sharon Ventura who was mutated into a Thing-like creature (aka She-Thing), and she spent some time with the Fantastic Four. I suppose the film’s writers/producers could have the film take place when Ben Grimm is powerless and/or on sabbatical, so She-Thing could sub in for him. But, essentially replacing one of the most popular characters makes no sense to me, especially when they are trying to reboot the franchise after two failures. If they are dead-set on this idea, do it a couple sequels later.
That said, I wouldn’t mind seeing Kunis in a supporting role — say, Alicia Masters, the blind sculptress who dated Ben Grimm and was the love of his life.
Vanessa Kirby | Susan Storm/Invisible Woman
There have been other casting rumors, of course, including Adam Driver and Jennifer Lawrence as Reed Richards and Susan Storm, respectively. A more popular rumor — and wishful thinking — had John Krasinski returning as Richards (see Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) with his IRL wife, Emily Blunt, playing Sue. But, Blunt is on record stating that it’s not gonna happen, as she has no wish to play a superhero. Also, Daveed Diggs’ name has been thrown around to play Ben Grimm, which is an interesting choice. (At least he is half-Jewish, and Ben is Jewish.) But, it feels like a diversity-motivated choice, which I can’t get behind; plus, his voice is all wrong. More recent rumors have involved either Matt Smith or Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Reed Richards, or maybe Matt Smith as the Silver Surfer (i.e., Norrin Radd).
In early August, however, The Hot Mic’s Jeff Sneider declared that the aptly-named Vanessa Kirby (M:I-6 & M:I-7, Hobbs & Shaw) is almost certainly going to play Susan Storm, while Joseph Quinn (“Stranger Things”) will be her brother, Johnny. Kirby, of course, is certainly talented enough, can do an American accent, and is no stranger to action movies (though she says she’s not an action-movie type). But, I’m not thrilled with this casting choice. Part of it is that I don’t find her sufficiently attractive, but more importantly I don’t think she looks enough like the character, blonde locks aside.
As for Quinn, that’s an interesting choice. He’s less experienced but talented and could even incorporate some of the ‘Eddie Munson’ character into his version of the playful and sometimes wild Johnny Storm. I probably would not have seriously considered him for the role, but he might be a pleasant surprise. (Assuming they make him blonde as in the comics, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.)
The only cast-member listed on the film’s IMDB page (as of this writing) is Vanessa Kirby, BUT there is a “(rumored)” qualifier. Sneider and The Hot Mic host John Rocha talked briefly about Marvel Studios wanting to build the film (and maybe the franchise?) around Kirby. I guess this means Susan Storm would lead the team? I’m sure some will call me sexist, but this doesn’t sit right with me. Has she taken the lead at times in the past in the comics? Yes, and that’s fine. The fact that this film will not be an origin story means that it could occur at a time in the team’s history when Sue is both experienced and confident enough to take over the lead role if something happens to Reed. But, similar to what I said about replacing Thing with She-Thing, the first film in a franchise reboot is not the time to mess with the membership or the classic team dynamic.
To recap, we very probably know who has been cast as one of the leads, another is almost as sure, and the rest are still (as far as announcements go) unknown. Supposedly, they have people signed on for all four central roles (and maybe others), but the powers-that-be just don’t want to release that info to the public at this stage. Hopefully, we’ll get some more news — casting or otherwise — before the end of the year.
As I sometimes do at the end or beginning of a year, this week’s post is a tribute to one of my favorite comic book artists. With the passing of the legendary George Pérez in 2022, I decided he was the natural choice to be honored this time around.
George Pérez
Though primarily a penciler, Pérez did some writing and inking, as well. Early in his career, he did some covers and had some notable runs on Marvel series like The Avengers and Fantastic Four, but he is perhaps best remembered for his work at DC. After a short stint on JLA, he helped launch the popular The New Teen Titans (1980), where he became known for his “facility with layouts, details, and faces,” and he became a fan-favorite artist. Next came the landmark limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985), which Pérez penciled. He then took on both plotting (later scripting, then co-writing) and penciling duties for the Wonder Woman reboot in 1987.
In addition to many additional Marvel and DC projects, Pérez also did work for smaller publishers like Malibu, Tekno Comix, CrossGen, and very briefly Event Comics and his creator-owned imprint Gorilla Comics (which put him deeply in debt). In the mid 2010s, he published a limited series of his own, Sirens, through BOOM! Studios.
Pérez won multiple awards for his work, too.
Alright, let’s look at some art…
George Perez portfolio coverPerez did these covers in 1977/1978Supes and StarfireA nice alternate cover by Perez for a short-lived Image seriesSirens!
Hope you enjoyed this brief George Pérez art retrospective. I encourage you to do a search for more online images from this legendary artist.
“Lee’s natural dialogue and flawed characters appealed to 1960s kids looking to ‘get real’.” — comics historian Stephen Krensky
In Part 1 celebrating this year’s notables, we looked at Highlander (1986), Watchmen (1986), and Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark) (1981). That was a lot of fun. This time, we turn our attention to even bigger franchises, so please forgive me if I’m even more verbose than usual…
Rocky (1976): 45 years
Written by and starring relative-newcomer Sylvester “Sly” Stallone, the John G. Avildsen-directed Rocky presented audiences with what would become one of the most successful and most-beloved sagas on the big screen. It’s a sports drama that mixes various themes/elements — follow-your-dreams, local-boy-does-good, never-give-up, a love story, etc. — into one of the best feel-good films of all time. (IMHO.) The man, the myth, the movie — everybody loves Rocky!
Inspired by the Ali vs. Wepner boxing match, Stallone wrote the screenplay in three-and-a-half days. Talent agents Craig T. Rumar and Larry Kubik shopped it around, but only Chartoff-Winkler Productions would agree to let Stallone both write and star in a fairly low-budget production. (To their credit, they risked a lot of money and their reputations.) That low budget (~$1 million) made it difficult to get any “big names” involved, though Talia Shire’s star was on the rise, and signing Burgess Meredith as trainer ‘Mickey’ was a bit of a coup. Star Trek fans may recognize then-unknown Michael Dorn as Apollo Creed’s bodyguard. (Some of Stallone’s family had minor roles or worked behind the scenes, too.)
Rocky was a hit from the start, earning $117 million at the North American box office and another $107 million overseas. This made it the highest-grossing film released in 1976, the second highest-grossing film of 1977 behind Star Wars, and one of the most profitable low-budget films ever. Critically, the reviews were mixed, but it has since become universally praised as a modern “classic”. In 2006, the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
Besides launching Stallone’s career as a movie icon, Rocky was nominated for 10 Oscars (winning three, including for Best Picture). It has won various other awards for directing, writing, picture, and Bill Conti’s film score is one of the most recognized in the world. (I used to have the soundtrack on cassette tape. I wonder what ever happened to that….) Rocky has appeared on several of the “American Film Institute’s 100 Years…” lists. In 2008, the AFI ranked it the second-best sports film ever made, the #1 spot belonging to Raging Bull. There have been five Rocky sequels and two (soon to be three) Creed spinoffs, as well as a novelization of the screenplay. There have been video games, a musical, a documentary on the making of the original film, and untold collectibles and other merchandise. Good job, Rock!
“Star Trek” (1966): 55 years
On Sept. 8, 1966, the first ever episode of “Star Trek” (TOS) was broadcast. Of course, that was four days before I was born, so it took me a while to catch up. But, I’ve been a Trekkie/Trekker since I was able to watch the series in syndication — plus the animated spin-off series (TAS) — in the early-to-mid ’70s. (Some of you may be wondering about the original pilot episode, “The Cage”, with Jeffrey Hunter as Capt. Christopher Pike, which the network rejected as “too cerebral”. While it was developed and filmed in 1964, it was not aired until 1988 (and included on VHS in 1986). Much of the episode, however, was spliced with that of a framing story for the 2-part “The Menagerie” in season 1.)
Though marketed as a combination “Wagon Train to the Stars” (since westerns were popular at the time) and “Horatio Hornblower in Space”, creator Gene Roddenberry actually conceived of the show as a suspenseful adventure story / morality tale, a la Gulliver’s Travels. Thus, Roddenberry and the other writers were able to “make statements about sex, religion, Vietnam, politics, and intercontinental missiles,” which mostly got by the network sensors, thanks to the futuristic settings of other planets, starships, and alien races. The show would also become noted for its racially and ethnically diverse cast, including both an Asian-American man and an African-American woman as part of the primary bridge crew.
Desilu’s director of production, Herbert F. Solow, signed a 3-year program-development contract with Roddenberry. The series had a number of production issues (and problems with sponsors) due to a nervous network that wasn’t quite on board with the concept and exacerbated by a rather limited budget. Solow became instrumental in keeping the show afloat, as did the creative production staff like art director Matt Jeffries.
Initial critical reviews for the series were mixed and ratings were not great, but NBC finished out the first season and ordered a second. Ratings continued to decline, and rumor was that it would be canceled, despite the show’s favorable demographics. But, a massive fan letter-writing campaign led by Bjo Trimble (and secretly begun and funded by Roddenberry) persuaded NBC executives to give the series another chance. However, they reduced the show’s budget and rescheduled it for the “Friday night death slot”. Roddenberry’s frustration led to his withdrawing from involvement in daily production, though he remained an executive producer. After a third season that is generally agreed to be inferior in writing and overall production quality, the show was canceled.
Primary ST:TOS crew
Despite this drama and thanks to its cult following, the show earned a few genre awards. Three of the five Hugo Award nominees in 1967 were for “Star Trek” episodes, as were all five nominees in 1968. Between 1967 and 1969, it was also nominated for eleven Emmys. It was one of the first TV series to receive an NAACP Image Award (1967), and one episode (“City on the Edge of Forever”) received a Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Teleplay (1968), though not the final version.
Star Trek’s popularity grew immensely when it went into syndication — first in the U.S., then worldwide. As per Wikipedia, “By 1972, what the Associated Press described as ‘the show that won’t die’ aired in more than 100 American cities and 60 other countries; and more than 3,000 fans attended the first Star Trek convention in New York City in January 1972.” It has spawned five more live-action series (with others in various stages of planning and development), two animated series (with a 3rd to debut later this year), a series of shorts, and thirteen live-action films (6 1/2 based on TOS; 3 1/2 based on “The Next Generation”; 3 based on “Kelvin Timeline” version of TOS crew). Even sticking with just “The Original Series”, it has been ranked as one of the best sci-fi shows ever — indeed, one of the greatest TV series, period.
There have been home video releases in various formats, novels, books about working on the show (and movies), fictional biographies, comic series, greeting cards, fanzines, art, action figures, video/computer games, parodies, musical recordings, fan productions, museum exhibits, amusement park rides and “experiences”, and tons of toys, games, and other merchandise. Culturally speaking, the show paved the way for many more science-fiction productions on both small and large screens and helped the genre be taken more seriously in the entertainment industry. Many fans have said that Star Trek inspired them to go into scientific disciplines, become doctors and astronauts, etc. It helped bring women and people of color into the U.S. Space Program, as championed by Nichelle Nichols (aka Lt. Uhura). Various gadgets and technologies showcased on the series (and its successors) inspired or anticipated real-life inventions. NASA has named several asteroids after people and things associated with Star Trek. Even the “Operation Warp Speed” efforts to quickly produce COVID-19 vaccines was named for a Star Trek technology concept.
In short, this “visionary” series was the beginning of a global phenomenon, a huge media franchise, and one of the largest and most dedicated — shall we say “fanatical”? — fandoms of any intellectual property on the planet. As Spock would say, “Fascinating!”
1st issue of FF
Fantastic Four (1961): 60 years
Marvel Comics debuted the beloved super-team known as the Fantastic Four in the first issue of the eponymously-named, regular comic series with cover date Nov. 1961. Then-publisher Marty Goodman wanted to capitalize on the success of team titles like their competitor’s Justice League of America. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the FF is said to be loosely based on DC Comics’ Challengers of the Unknown (created or co-created by Kirby), except that the Marvel team of scientific explorers gained superpowers in their first adventure. The four in question, of course, were the brainy Reed Richards (aka Mr. Fantastic), his lovely girlfriend Susan Storm (aka Invisible Girl/Woman), her pain-in-the-butt younger brother Johnny (aka Human Torch), and Reed’s old friend, athlete-turned-pilot Benjamin J. Grimm (aka Thing).
The title was a surprise hit whose popularity convinced Lee to remain in the comics biz. The book became known for the team’s unique and fun family dynamic, a big part of its success. Villains like Doctor Doom, Galactus, and the antihero Namor the Sub-Mariner, became fan-favorites. Many comics legends have worked on the book over the years, and it remained a cornerstone in Marvel’s rise to prominence in the comics industry. More recent decades have seen the title fluctuate in popularity, and the varying attempts to revitalize it have met with mixed success. Regardless, I will always look back fondly at many of the FF stories of my youth (and later). Runs by writer-artists John Byrne and Walt Simonson were among my favorites.
The adventures of Marvel’s “first family” have been collected into a multitude of trade paperbacks (TPBs) and hardcover editions. There have been reprints in other countries and other languages — e.g., Mexico, UK, France, Germany, Italy. There have been FF trading cards, stickers, lunchboxes, games (both physical and video/computer), action figures, and many more toys and collectibles.
A very fitting four animated TV series were created about the Fantastic Four. The first consisted of 20 episodes (from Hanna-Barbera Productions) airing on Saturday mornings from Sep. 1967 thru Sep. 1968; the second consisted of 13 episodes (from DePatie–Freleng Enterprises and Marvel Comics Animation) airing in 1978, though the Human Torch character was infamously replaced by a robot named H.E.R.B.I.E.; the third was actually half of the “Marvel Action Hour” (from Genesis Entertainment and New World Entertainment) and consisted of 26 episodes airing from Sep. 1994 to Feb. 1996; and the fourth was an American-Canadian-French production (MoonScoop division of Taffy Entertainment in collaboration with M6 and Cartoon Network Europe) that combined 2D art and 3D animation to make 26 episodes airing off-and-on between Sep. 2006 and Feb. 2010.
On the big screen, there have been (again) four movies. The first was a low-budget production, independently made and executive produced by B-movie king Roger Corman in 1994. It was never officially released for public consumption, though pirated copies can be found. Marvel produced (and Tim Story directed) an official Fantastic Four film in 2005, with mixed reviews. (I thought the best part was casting Michael Chiklis as Grimm/Thing.) However, it was commercially successful enough to spawn a sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). The fourth FF movie was an attempted reboot in 2015, but it was a box-office bomb (and rightly so). In recent months, Marvel has hinted that they are developing a new take on the team, which will be included as part of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. They better not screw this one up…!
Whew! That’s it for Part 2. Stay tuned for Part 3 next month….
Viewers of “WandaVision” were recently introduced to the MCU version of Agatha Harkness, portrayed by the 40-something comedic actress Kathryn Hahn. I didn’t care for her ‘Agnes’ persona, but her villainous true-self wasn’t bad. (Actually, she was very bad.) But, I would have preferred that she be portrayed closer to the comic version, both physically and in terms of the story and characters. So, here’s a little synopsis of the character from the source material, along with three candidates to play a live-acton version of her.
Agatha Harkness
Agatha Harkness
Agatha Harkness is a powerful witch, mother of the duplicitous warlock Nicholas Scratch, and grandmother of the magically-powered villains known as “Salem’s Seven”. She was initially introduced to readers as a nanny (or, governess) for the infant Franklin Richards, son of the Fantastic Four’s Reed and Susan Richards. After fighting off the Frightful Four, she admitted to being a witch. Her other claim to fame is that she later became mentor to Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, in the use of her “chaos magic”.
With her connections to both the Fantastic Four and the Avengers, it is no surprise that Harkness aided both groups from time to time, e.g., fighting against Salem’s Seven, Annihilus, Immortus, Chaos. She has also teamed with other mystics. At one point, the Salem’s Seven captured and killed Harkness, though she was still able to aid the heroes in her astral form. She later returned “alive & well”, but that turned out to be a magical construct created by the mentally-unstable Scarlet Witch who had killed her mentor. Harkness’ long-dead corpse was later discovered, but she still gave aid in ghost form. Subsequent events led to her actually returning to life in corporeal form.
Harkness is a formidable sorceress, smart and very knowledgeable, who uses magic to teleport, project energy blasts, hypnotize, communicate telepathically, transmute matter, and cast illusions. She can also tap into other dimensions via spells, giving her access to and sometimes control over extradimensional beings or objects of power. Her mystical sources and abilities have allowed her to sense and then notify the FF of impending threats. Her familiar, a black cat named ‘Ebony’, could transform into a black panther. That is, until Harkness sacrificed Ebony in a ritual to give herself precognitive visions. Strange episodes like this aside, as well as her tendency to be rather secretive, she is considered a valued ally to the superhero community.
Agatha welcomes FF into her home
Though several millennia old, Harkness typically appears as a slender, reasonably healthy, human woman in at least her 60s, if not 70s or older. She is Caucasian, roughly 5’11”, with white or gray hair. I’m not too concerned about height, plus it would greatly diminish the number of possible candidates if I limited myself to very tall women. So, I set a height-range of 5’6″ to 6′. Hair is obviously not an issue, thanks to coloring and wigs. Age-wise, finding someone in her 70s or 80s would be great, as long as she is sufficiently healthy and active. But, I figure someone in her 60s would be fine, too, and she could be aged a bit with makeup and/or facial appliances if necessary.
I briefly considered the likes of Maggie Smith (5’5″,b.1934), Judi Dench (5’1″,b.1934), Rosemary Harris (5’4.5″,b.1927), and Helen Mirren (5’4″,b.1945). But they were each too short and/or, to be frank, not the right body shape. (Sorry, ladies.) I even thought of Tilda Swinton (5’10.5″,b.1960), but I can’t really see her in the part. Besides, she already plays a sorceress in the MCU. That leaves….
Jane Alexander (2012) (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Celebrated stage & film actress Jane Alexander (5’6.5″,b.1939) just makes our height requirement, but she is perfect for an 80ish Agatha. She is mostly known for such dramas as The Great White Hope, Kramer vs. Kramer, and a number of TV movies. But, she has also appeared in genre fare like The New Centurions, Testament, The Ring, Terminator Salvation, and TV shows include “Forever”, “Elementary”, “The Blacklist”, and last year’s “Tales from the Loop”. She certainly has the talent, and I think she could make an amazing ‘Agatha Harkness’.
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Laila Robins
Another alumnus from “The Blacklist” is Laila Robins (5’7″?,b.1959). She is one of those faces who has been around a while, and you ask yourself, “Where have I seen her before?” On the big screen she has been in productions like An Innocent Man, The Good Shepherd, Island Zero. Additional small screen roles have been in “Gabriel’s Fire”, “Law & Order”, “The Sopranos”, “Witchblade”, “Homeland”, “Murder in the First”, and more recently “The Boys”. If you are familiar with her, you know she can play stern, tough, sometimes scary women, who can freeze you with a stare. Perfect for a powerful, near-immortal sorceress, eh?
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Jane Lynch
Jane Lynch (6′,b.1960) is almost too tall, if you can believe it! She seems to have an affinity for appearing in TV dramas and sitcoms. (And “Glee”, of course.) But, she has also acted in the following more genre-relevant productions: The Fugitive, Fatal Instinct, “The X-Files”, “The Dead Zone”, “CSI”, “Manhunt”, “Criminal Minds”. She has also done voice work on things like “The Spectacular Spider-Man”, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Shrek Forever After, “The Super Hero Squad Show”, and many others. Given the right wardrobe and a few more wrinkles, Lynch could be our Ms. Harkness.
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Have a great week!
* All ideas copyright Christopher Harris, 2013-2021.
It’s time for a fan-casting exercise, my friends, and this time I’ve cast my eye upon Marvel’s Avenging Son and Lord of the Seven Seas, Prince (later King) Namor, known to surface-dwellers as the Sub-Mariner. But first, the usual background summary…
Namor, the Sub-mariner
Namor McKenzie was born to ship-captain Leonard McKenzie and Princess Fen, daughter of the Atlantean Emperor Thakorr, in (best guess) 1916. In the 1940s, he fought the Axis powers alongside Captain America and the Invaders and later the All-Winners Squad. After later conflicts with surface-dwellers, he disappeared in 1958. It wasn’t until 15-20(?) years ago that Johnny Storm (aka the 3rd ‘Human Torch’) came across an amnesiac bum with unusual strength, whom he recognized as the long-missing Prince of Atlantis. Storm helped Namor regain his memory and full strength, but when the prince came to believe that humans’ nuclear testing had wiped out his people, he swore vengeance on surface-dwellers. Of course, he eventually realized he’d been mistaken, but not before causing havoc and making surface-dwellers rather distrustful of him, too.
Over the years that followed, Namor has had an erratic history of alternately working with the “good guys” (e.g., Fantastic Four, Defenders, X-Men) and sometimes with “bad guys” (e.g., Doctor Doom, Magneto). At times, his alignment with the latter was due to being tricked or otherwise manipulated by others, while other times he was simply convinced that his and Atlantis’s best interests lay in fighting, for example, governments like the U.S. and Wakanda and/or heroes like the Fantastic Four. This has included what some have termed “terrorist” activities in response to activities he deemed harmful to oceanic ecologies. So, when Namor shows up, sometimes it’s hard to tell at first whether he is friend or foe. Namor also has intermittently had to contend with rogue elements among his own people (e.g., the usurper Attuma and his followers) and their undersea, Lemurian cousins. In addition, he has had to deal with much sorrow in his life, including destruction of parts of his kingdom, the deaths of many friends (plus his first wife (Dorma) and cousin (Namorita)), and the betrayal of his childhood friend Meranno (aka U-Man).
Namor is one of the most formidable beings, as either ally or enemy, on the Earth. As ruler of a technologically-advanced submarine kingdom, he can wield considerable military power. Indeed, the Atlantean armies are not to be trifled with, and he can be an inspiring (if grim) leader. But, even as an individual, Namor is incredibly powerful. As a hybrid of Homo mermanus and Homo superior (aka “mutant”), he has several superhuman abilities. Physically, he is one of the strongest and most durable beings, able to duke it out with the likes of the Thing, Hulk, Sentry, et al. He can both fly and swim at amazing speeds. He has superhuman agility, stamina, and various other amphibious adaptations. Truly, he is someone to value having in your corner, but his instability makes him a bit of a wildcard.
Namor is basically Caucasian in appearance, which he inherited from his father. (Pureblood Atlanteans have blue skin.) But, since he is half merman and a mutant, he has a few unusual features, including (usually) oddly-sculpted hair, tiny feathered wings that grow from his ankles, high-arched eyebrows, and pointed ears that remind one of an elf or a certain First Officer from Starfleet. He has a quite muscular build, black hair, and Marvel’s wiki lists him at 6’2″, 278 lbs. (Some of that weight may be from bone and tissue that are slightly denser than human.) Namor shares a general distrust of — even a disdain for — surface-dwellers with his fellow-Atlanteans. On top of this, he is known to have a large ego and rather imperious attitude toward anyone he considers his inferior. Not surprisingly, there are extremely few whom he would consider his equal, let alone his better. (Note that he trusts and respects Captain America enough that he has deferred to him as team leader in the field of battle.) As one who wears the responsibilities of the crown, he is known to brood a bit. Despite all his, there are also times when Namor has demonstrated love and affection, usually to a close relative (mother, wife, cousin) or to Susan Richards (nee Storm) of the Fantastic Four.
In trying to cast Namor, my requirements were pretty simple: over 6′ tall, dark haired (though that can be colored, of course), and muscular, with the presence to make one believe he was a supremely confident and superpowerful monarch. I would prefer to find someone around 30 years old, give or take, but it’s hard enough to find any contenders, so I was more flexible with that. In fact, while names like Henry Cavill (6’1″,b.1983), Tahmoh Penikett (6’3″,b.1975), and Josh Hartnett (6’3″,b.1978) crossed my mind, I really only focused on these three….
Jason Momoa
You might think that my choice of Jason Momoa (6’4″,b.1979) is too easy, even “cheating”, since he is portraying ‘Aquaman’ on the big-screen these days. Of course, his genre credits also include “Baywatch”, “Stargate: Atlantis”, “Game of Thrones”, Bullet to the Head, Wolves, Braven, “Frontier”. Personally, I think Momoa is a much better fit for Marvel’s King of Atlantis than for DC’s. Give him a widow’s peak, Vulcan ears, little wings on his feet (well, maybe those can be tattoos?), and a condescending royal sneer, and he’d be perfect as Prince Namor. Heck, he already has a head-start on the eyebrows!
Roman Reigns
Professional wrestler Roman Reigns (real name: Joe Anoa’i) (6’2″,b.1985) may be an unusual pick, but he has a certain swarthy appearance that reminded me of Momoa, especially with the whiskers and muscles. (I know I’m not the first to note the similarities.) I don’t think he has done any acting outside of wrestling. His only non-wrestling appearances were in “Ride Along (“reality TV”) and “Table for 3” (talk show) and “Raw Talk” (talk show), where he played himself. So, he may need acting lessons to pull off a decent ‘Namor’. But, he certainly has the physique for it, and he comes closest to my preferred age-range. Plus, you know, ‘Roman’ spelled backwards is ‘Namor’ (which, I believe, was the inspiration for the character’s name in the first place).
Sasha Roiz
Sasha Roiz (6’5″,b.1973) might not the the first to come to mind, either. He’s also the oldest of my candidates, being almost 45 when I write this. But, if the powers-that-be chose to go with an older Namor, he’d be great. You may remember Roiz from his roles in “Caprica” or “Warehouse 13” or “Grimm”, but he also appeared in Land of the Dead, 16 Blocks, a couple “CSI” show and similar series, and he’s now co-starring in the second season of “Salvation”. As you can see from the shirtless pic I chose (from not all that long ago), he’s fairly physically fit — more of a swimmer’s physique? — and could probably put on a few more pounds of muscle if necessary. King Namor?
While it’s possible Momoa might someday play a Marvel character, I seriously doubt they’d sign him on to play someone so similar — at least in some aspects — to his current DC character. But, I can still play “What If?”, right? If not him, though, maybe Reigns or Roiz? What do you think? This one was tough! Anyone else strike you as a possibility?
* All ideas copyright Christopher Harris, 2013-2018.
“You can always judge a man by the quality of his enemies.” — Oscar Wilde
At the end of last week’s “fantastic fan-casting” exercise, I said I might do some villains next time. I was right! There are many to choose from, of course, but I picked three of the FF’s earliest foes, whom I also happened to have some pretty good candidates for. (Well, I think so, anyway.) While working on it, I realized I needed to limit this post to two and save the third for next week. As with the last post, I’m attempting multiple characters, so I’ll try not to expound too much on any of them. First off…
Puppet Master
Puppet Master
The villain known as “Puppet Master” is Phillip Masters, a native of Transia whose boyhood hobby was sculpting figures from clay found near the base of Wundagore Mountain. Moving to America with his parents, young Phillip continued to sculpt as an escape from the bullying of his classmates. What no one knew at the time was that continued exposure to the slightly radioactive clay was causing a mental imbalance. (The clay was later revealed to have mystical properties, as well.) Following a difficult childhood, Masters studied biology in college and became business partners with his college roommate, Jacob Reiss. Reiss died in a tragic explosion, and Masters married his widow. His new step-daughter, Alicia, was blind but a very talented artist. Many years later, she would become the girlfriend of Ben Grimm (aka The Thing) and a trusted friend of the Fantastic Four. (Unfortunately, that also meant she would become a frequent pawn of her stepfather, despite the fact that he genuinely cares for her.)
Phillip, on the other hand, became increasingly unstable and criminal in his pursuits. He discovered that, by fashioning a “doll” from his special clay in the likeness of a real person, he could mentally control that person. By manipulating the doll, he could make the person move in the same way, even when many miles away. With enough concentration, he could completely take over the person’s mind and even alter his/her memories. I should also note that Masters became quite skillful at building toys, too.
Masters was always a bit strange, quirky, but his growing insanity over the years made him increasingly unpredictable and dangerous. Early depictions made him out to be rather “dumpy”-looking, and he wore colorful clothing. But, his more “classic” look is the slender, odd little man in the above pic, often wearing an artist’s smock. He is white, bald, and appears to have an unusually wide mouth. (Or, maybe it’s just his diabolical grin.) Marvel’s wiki page lists him as 5’6″. As for his age, I’d say somewhere in his 50s, maybe 60-ish.
I think the actor that comes closest to Masters’s unusual looks and also roughly the same height is Clint Howard (5’7″,b.1959). (Not sure how slim he is these days, though.) Howard, of course, is the older brother of actor/director/producer Ron Howard. He is known to Trekkies for playing a very odd child/alien in the TOS episode “The Corbomite Maneuver”. His adult credits in genre fare include The Rocketeer, “Space Rangers”, “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”, “The Outer Limits”, “Total Recall 2070”, “Star Trek: Enterprise”, “Heroes”, “Fringe”, etc. Now, if we wanted to go with someone taller and more sinister-looking, I think Mackenzie Gray (6′,b.1957) could be terrific! Seen recently as a Kryptonian in Man of Steel, Gray will also be a regular in the new “Legion” series. (Debuting tonight!) He has also been in “Kung Fu: The Legend Continues”, “La Femme Nikita”, “The Net”, “First Wave”, “Andromeda”, Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers, “Knights of Bloodsteel”, “Smallville”, “Spooksville”, and he has done a bunch of voicework, too. (Somewhat ironically, he stars as a dying sculptor in a drama this year titled Heart of Clay.)
Clint Howard
Mackenzie Gray
Mole Man
Mole Man
Harvey Elder is an overweight & squat, extremely near-sighted man, 4’10” tall, with poor posture and a humongous nose. Not surprisingly, he suffered a lot of ridicule both as a child and an adult. He became a skilled scientist, but the taunting and pity (including by the woman he loved) led him to quit is job. He traveled a lot, following legends to find a “land at the center of the Earth”. While he didn’t find quite was he was looking for, Elder did stumble upon Monster Island and later an underground realm dubbed ‘Subterranea’. In Subterranea he found a race of semi-humanoid creatures known as Moloids, who made him their king. He discovered and mastered some highly-advanced machinery long-abandoned in the caves by the Deviants. Elder has also encountered and learned to control several large, non-humanoid monsters within the wide network of caverns lying miles beneath Earth’s surface. Finally, he has somehow gained a measure of longevity and developed a “radar sense” of sorts, while living & working for years in his dark, subterranean empire.
Calling himself the Mole Man, Elder uses his monsters, Moloids, and advanced tech to wreak havoc on “surface-dwellers”, steal various objects, and, of course, get his revenge on his enemies and the world at large for treating him so poorly. His long-time enemies include the Fantastic Four, as he was the very first “super-villain” they encountered after gaining their powers. (Fantastic Four, vol. 1, #1) Elder may be sensitive about his physical form and a resentment for those who mocked him, but he has developed a superiority complex over those who live above ground. While not much of a physical threat on his own, his loyal minions, familiarity with the subterranean geography, and use of technology have made him a surprisingly dangerous and resilient foe.
Casting this poor guy is really tough, and obviously no one is going to be this short, fat, and ugly. (Not without prosthetics, at least.) I’m happy to cast a couple of talented actors who are somewhat on the short side, though. Paul Giamatti (5’9″,b.1967) played a (disappointing) variation of another Marvel villain, the Rhino, in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 not long ago. He has had roles in Saving Private Ryan, The Negotiator, Safe Men, Planet of the Apes, American Splendor, San Andreas, and has done some genre voicework, as well. My second choice is Timothy Spall (5’8″,b.1957), whom you may remember as Wormtail in the Harry Potter movies. He has also appeared in Crusoe, Dream Demon, “Red Dwarf”, “Young Indiana Jones”, Immortality, Death Defying Acts, Enchanted, From Time to Time, and Assassin’s Bullet. (Downsides are that he’s about to turn 60, and he has slimmed down since this pic was taken a couple years ago.) I’d be quite happy with either of these guys.
Paul Giamatti
Timothy Spall
So far, so good? Doctor Doom is up next, so, until next week…
* All ideas copyright Christopher Harris, 2013-2017.
“[Y]ou didn’t think to account for our personalities. The inner strength that my family has, that I’ve seen grow with us through the years. You forgot to include that in your calculus. If we’re down, we rise. If we fail, we try again. If we lose the battle, we win the war. And that is what makes us… the Fantastic Four!” — Mister Fantastic to the Quiet Man
I’m going to try something different this time and fan-cast a whole team in one post. To do so, I’m going to have to cut down on the amount of text. So, since readers of this blog likely already know who the Fantastic Four are and at least the basics of their “origin story”, I’m going to skip all that, along with most of their history.
First, a few notes about physical appearances and ages. We know that all four of our heroes are/were attractive and physically fit — even moreso in later years. All four are Caucasian. The Storm siblings are blonde, whereas Reed and Ben both have brown hair, with Reed’s temples having turned white in his late teens. Reed’s build was originally on the slender side, though his powers allow him to look more muscular. Ben, of course, was always stockier and more muscular, even before he transformed into The Thing. Reed’s height is listed as 6’1″, Ben’s at 6′, Sue’s at 5’6″, and Johnny’s at 5’10”. I would prefer to stay within 2-3 inches either way for each of them. It should be no surprise that my casting choices try to retain the classic appearances of the characters, though I realize that some things (e.g., hair color, eyewear, muscularity) can be altered in the service of playing a role.
According to Marvel’s wiki page, Reed — of Prime Earth, not “Ultimate” — had attained four degrees by the time he was 18 years old. While working on his fifth, he roomed first with Victor von Doom and then with his soon-to-be best buddy, Benjamin J. Grimm. I’m not sure about Doom, but it says this was Ben’s freshman year, so he was roughly the same age as Reed. (However, I read elsewhere that Ben was a few years older. This may be an effect of ret-conning.) Ben later joined the U.S. Air Force, where he became a highly-skilled pilot, and Reed went on to build his first experimental rocketship.
While working on yet another degree at Columbia University, Reed’s landlady’s niece, Susan Storm, developed a crush on him. She was only 12 (though other sources say she was older), and I’m guessing Reed was 22 to 24 years old by then. When Sue started college, she went to California where Reed was working on his project, and they began dating. By the time of the ill-fated accident that gave them their powers, Sue was no longer considered a “teen”, so she must’ve been at least 20 years old. This would put Reed and Ben in their early 30s. Johnny Storm, however, was referred to as an adolescent teenager. My sense of him was that he was maybe 4 to 5 years younger than Sue, give or take. So, for argument’s sake, at the time of the accident they were 15 (Johnny, who we remember is Peter Parker’s peer), 20 (Sue), and 30 (Reed & Ben).
That having been said, while it would be nice to see casting match these ages, it might not be all that easy, and I certainly haven’t come across 15 and 20 year olds that fit the bill for Johnny and Sue. So, I have no problem casting them both in their early- to mid-20s (though the actors might be slightly older), as was done in the last FF movie. I would also understand if those casting for the next screen version decide to make Ben a few years older, which would be believable for giving him time to become a noted test pilot/astronaut. Or, they could even make Reed and Ben in their late-20s, but I wouldn’t go any younger than that. This all assumes that the next movie begins with the FF’s “origin story”. But, it wouldn’t have to. The characters can be further along in their careers as heroes and, therefore, a few years older.
Personality-wise, we have 1) the super-brilliant, sometimes distant and absent-minded Reed Richards (aka the super-elastic Mister Fantastic); 2) the streetwise, cigar-chompin’, somewhat impatient but ever-dependable jock-turned-pilot Ben Grimm (aka the super-strong, rocky-hided Thing); 3) the empathetic, commonsensical, oft-maternal, stronger-than-she-knows Susan Storm (aka the mistress of invisible force-fields, Invisible Girl/Woman); and 4) the immature, thrill-seeking, sometimes hot-headed Johnny Storm (aka the aptly-named Human Torch).
Beyond all that, the most important thing is that the actors have not only the talent but the necessary chemistry together. After all, while only two are related by blood, these characters really do become a close-knit family, as well as a well-oiled team of explorers/superheroes. That family dynamic really needs to come across on-screen for any FF movie (or series) to work.
Now, rather than suggesting two to four candidates for each character individually, allow me to present to you two possible teams. Feel free to mix-n-match, though….
Tom Mison
Greg Finley
Eliza Taylor
Lucas Till
Our first team has Reed and Ben in their early 30s, as played by Tom Mison (6’1″,b.1982) and Greg Finley (6′,b.1984), respectively. Mison is best known for the “Sleepy Hollow” series, but he can also be seen in Mysterious Island, an episode of “Inspector Lewis”, and various romance/comedies. Finley has appeared in several episodes of “The Flash” and “iZombie” lately, but he has also been in Hypothermia, “Star-Crossed”, and episodes of “CSI” and “Law & Order: SVU”. Then we have a 20-something Sue played by Eliza Taylor (5’5″,b.1989). She is best known in the U.S. for her starring role in “The 100”, though she’s also appeared in The November Man and Patrick. Finally, the role of Johnny in his early- to mid-20s goes to the youthful Lucas Till (5’10”,b.1990). Till, whom others have also suggested for Johnny, is known for portraying Alex Summers/Havok in the X-Men films and most recently in the title role of the new “MacGyver” TV series.
James Badge Dale
Domenick Lombardozzi
Brittany Snow
Luke Bracey
The second team is a little older, with Reed in his mid- to late-30s and Ben pushing 40. Our stretchy team-leader is played by my first choice, James Badge Dale (5’10”,b.1978), whom you may recall from “24”, “The Pacific”, “Rubicon”, World War Z, and 13 Hours. The role of Benjy goes to Domenick Lombardozzi (6′,b.1976) from “The Wire”, “Breakout Kings”, “Boardwalk Empire”, Bridge of Spies, and “Rosewood”. (While looking for a photo of him for this post, I found that someone else cast him for Ben, too. Great minds…. I will note that I think Lombardozzi’s voice is all wrong for Ben/Thing, so he’d either need to learn to talk without his usual Bronx accent and/or someone else’s voice would need to be dubbed in.) Sue is in her mid- to late-20s and portrayed by Brittany Snow (5’4″,b.1986). Snow can be seen in “American Dreams” and the Pitch Perfect movies, along with such genre fare as Prom Night, Black Water Transit, and the upcoming Hangman. Sue’s younger brother Johnny is played by Luke Bracey (6′,b.1989), who is known for his roles in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, The November Man, the Point Break remake, and the recent Hacksaw Ridge.
Alright, those are my picks for Marvel’s First Family — not counting Reed and Sue’s kids that come along later, of course. I’m thinking it might be time to fan-cast some villains next. We’ll see…
* All ideas copyright Christopher Harris, 2013-2017.
Yes, I finally got around to watching last year’s disappointing reboot of the Fantastic Four. So, I put together a brief review in the form of a few notes, much like I’ve done in the past. I’ll try not to give away any major plot points or character-specific stuff….
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As with its 2005 predecessor, the acting was fine (though not great) for what they had to work with, which was a so-so (definitely not great) story & script. Unfortunately, that meant that the characters were relatively dull, too.
1) Reed Richards — I don’t know. Miles Tellar is a good enough actor, but he didn’t quite look the part. He played “science nerd” OK, I guess. On the other hand, Reed seemed to be just a tad bit too socially well-adjusted. I always thought he was more socially awkward, especially in his earlier years, often distracted by scientific problems/projects. My guess is he would likely be diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. (Just my take on it, of course.) Even without that consideration, some of his behavior was a little different than I think it should have been. Nothing major, though.
2) Susan Storm — Given that they were going with the brainier, scientist version of Sue (a la “Ultimate” universe), she was fine. I would have preferred a different look for her, though — like, maybe, Julianne Hough. I am guessing she was supposed to be roughly the same age as Reed (~18-20yo?), though she may have been a little older. The romantic interest between Sue and Reed was just barely hinted at, though mostly one-sided by him. Same goes for Doom’s interest in Sue. Sue’s relationship with her adoptive brother didn’t seem very close; or, maybe they just aren’t an emotionally demonstrative family.
3) Johnny Storm — Would have liked to see Johnny involved in more “adrenaline rush” activities and exhibiting more playfulness, which are essential parts of his personality. (This was a detail that the 2005/2007 films got right.) It was also a little odd to see him working with the team on the final teleportation device. (I think this may have been the case in the Ultimate version, too. Can’t remember for sure.) Given his interest in fast cars, I guess it does make sense that he had some skills in mechanics and/or engineering. To stay in keeping with the comics, it should have been made clear that he was a few years younger than Sue.
4) Ben Grimm — He may have been athletic, but he was way too small. Why couldn’t they get someone who was about 6′ or so and looked more like a stereotypical, beefy jock? His childhood/family life fits the character, though it would have been nice to hear a reference to Yancey Street and the gang. As for his “Thing” form, I liked it OK, though I prefer the classic, more “rounded” and heavy-browed version (as in the previous big-screen incarnation). This one reminded me of the Stone Men (aka Kronans) of the planet Ria. Also, his voice needed to be deeper — rumbly, even — to go along with the massive form.
5) Victor von Doom — They got this character all wrong, yet again. In appearance (pre- and post-transformation) and sound (no accent) and attitude (cocky, but not imperious) and abilities (some sort of freaky psychokinesis?), he still was not the iconic figure from the comics. Why?! Why is this so hard to do? Or, alternatively, why do the powers-that-be shy away from portraying him on screen the way he has always been written? Surely, there must be some 30-or-younger actor from Eastern Europe who could pull this off. Say,… Dawid Ogrodnik. On the plus side, at least he wasn’t some disillusioned computer hacker named Vic Domashev, as had been the rumor.
6) Dr. Franklin Storm — The comics don’t give him a lot of characterization, other than being a brilliant scientist who cares immensely for his children. He doesn’t often spend time with them or show affection in other ways, being very focused on administering the scientific think-tank at the Baxter Building. From what we saw and heard, this version of Storm is pretty much on target with that, though perhaps a little more attentive.
OK, now for a few more general comments about the film…
1) Given that Reed seemed to join the Baxter Foundation after high school, I am guessing he was about 17-18 years old. (Though, you’d think a brain like him would’ve skipped a couple grades.) Possibly more like 19-20yo, if he took some college in between times. Ben and Sue would’ve been roughly the same, Johnny even younger (16?), though Victor was probably a couple years older. However, all of the actors looked to be a few years older than those ages,… which they actually are, of course.
2) I recognized a couple early scenes adapted from Ultimate Fantastic Four, but they didn’t feel quite right. Lighting too dark; Baxter Institute looked/felt too “normal”.
3) Without giving anything away,… I’m not sure how I feel about the events that followed the accident. They didn’t follow either the original or Ultimate versions. The antagonism against Reed just felt… wrong.
4) There was no mention of “unstable molecules” (that I recall) in the post-accident uniforms’ composition. Plus, Reed was wearing something else, yet it stretched when he did. What’s up with that? If there is a sequel, will they reveal that he discovered something that allows uniforms to “cooperate” with their powers.
5) The fact that Dr. Storm and Johnny were not Caucasian was fine, of course, and the brief mention of Sue being adopted resolved that question.
6) I thought the special F/X were pretty good, despite that being one of the facets the film got criticized for. Maybe I would change my mind upon a second viewing, when I had time to see them again?
7) The fights were rather lacking. I assume the original, one-by-one attacks on Doom in the finale were meant to show they couldn’t beat him on their own — which Reed stated explicitly a couple minutes later. (A bit on-the-nose, if you ask me.) But, then the coordinated effort, especially Ben’s haymaker, was telegraphed so obviously that Doom deserves to get beat for still falling for it.
Overall, a fairly interesting variation on the FF origin story, but not quite satisfying. Too dark, for one thing, both visually and in tone. (Might’ve worked a little better as a graphic novel.) Familiar characters weren’t left familiar enough to feel like the “friends” fans were expecting. Or, at least, not this fan. Still,… it didn’t suck as much as some of the reviews (when it came out) led me to believe.
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What can we expect going forward? Well, at one point, it looked like Fox and Marvel had worked out an agreement that put the Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer, Dr. Doom, and Galactus back under control of The House of Ideas (i.e., in this case, Marvel Studios). But, more recent reporting indicates that Fox still has the rights and may try for a FF sequel or reboot around 2020. Of course, that could be inaccurate or could change in the future. One interesting piece of related news is that the rights to Namor, the Sub-Mariner, are back with Marvel Studios. (Yet another imperious foreigner with a thing for Sue!) If Marvel also regained control of the FF, they could introduce Namor and the Atlanteans as the villain. He/they could return as an ally in a sequel down the road. This could be really cool, if done right and, of course, faithful to the source material. Keepin’ my fingers crossed….
As genre fans are well aware, authors/creators sometimes like to experiment with alternate timelines, mirror universes, and the like. Marvel and DC Comics do this all the time. It allows them to explore “What if?” scenarios, where key events went differently in world history and/or in the lives of certain heroes and villains. Sometimes they give familiar characters different abilities or put them in a different location or time period. Or, sometimes the stories involve familiar surroundings or thematic parallels but with a whole new cast of characters. (“Familiar Names, Unfamiliar Heroes.”)
I would be willing to bet that a fair number of you have come up with ideas of this sort, and, of course, I am no different. Some time ago, I began developing ideas for three familiar-yet-very different teams of heroes, which I return to from time to time. Just as the Fantastic Four were inspired by Challengers of the Unknown, this first team — “Tetras” — is based on the Fantastic Four. Mostly. In a nutshell, it is a self-funded band of explorers/adventurers headquartered at an underground base below a mansion in upstate New York. If they sound a little familiar, it is because I mentioned them in a “From the Mind of Mr. Zeus” post.
The members are…
Codename: Andronicus Civ. Name: Thomas Leonard Carrington IV, 39
Occup./Bkgrd: physicist (multiple sub-disciplines) and engineer Eth./Ntnlty: British(/Russian) expatriate living in America Ht./Wt.: 6’7″ – 8’2″, 470 – 900+ lbs. (6’7″ is his normal height; he was about 215 lbs. before the disease brought him down to about 130 lbs. (from slender to skeletal)) Powers/Skills: He possesses both a super-genius IQ and superhuman strength (press 5-10 tons). Due to his size and personality, he can also be quite intimidating in person, even when not exercising his abilities. Comments: Carrington comes from a very “well-heeled” British family. His Russian mother died when he was 5, his father remarried (an Italian artist) when he was 14, and his half-brother came along shortly thereafter. He was incredibly smart & industrious, earning two doctorates by age 23, but socially immature (partly due to a superiority complex). By age 30, he had earned quite a bit of notoriety as a maverick physicist, and a handful of patents (for inventions made in his “off time”) increased his fortunes, paying for his private, subterranean lab (including a small supercollider). He then developed a degenerative disease, his body wasting away while his mind remained as lucid & brilliant as ever, resulting in the proud scientist becoming a recluse. Since the accident that transformed the members of Tetras, his already amazing IQ has increased, while his frail body has become large & muscular and looks somewhat like artistic renderings of what Neanderthal man may have looked like, but much bigger — think DC’s Blockbuster or Marvel’s Mr. Hyde. Under normal circumstances, he can pass for a taller-than-average bodybuilder. Under highly stressful conditions or when very angry or frustrated, he can mentally trigger a temporary growth spurt up to 8+ ft. tall and nearly 1/2 a ton, which also effectively doubles his already prodigious strength. Unfortunately, a side-effect of the physical and biochemical toll this transformation takes on his body is that it also dumbs him down to a “mere” 120 IQ while “hulked out”.
Codename: Solaria Civ. Name: Alethea “Allie” Brown, 29 Occup./Bkgrd: personal physician and research assistant to Dr. Thomas L. Carrington Eth./Ntnlty: African-American Ht./Wt.: 5’9.5″, 135 lbs. Powers/Skills: Allie’s ability to absorb and control large amounts of cosmic energy allows her to project this energy in blasts from her extremities, either offensively or to fly — or, with great effort & for a brief time, both. She was quite unsure of herself and her abilities when she first gained them, but her confidence has grown, and she now enjoys experimenting and testing her limits. Comments: When Allie Brown first moved into the Carrington Estate to care for Thomas, she found the arrogant physicist to be both pitiful and maddening. Fortunately, she is a very patient and compassionate person. However, not only did she respect his incredible accomplishments, but over time she became fascinated with his towering intellect and the way he sometimes gained sudden insights, even into scientific disciplines where he did not specialize. She was surprised when he asked her to extend her responsibilities and become his research assistant. Since the failed experiment that mutated the four of them, giving them extraordinary superhuman abilities, Allie and Thomas have grown increasingly close. They have even developed romantic feelings toward one another, though neither would admit it.
Codename: Chameleon Kid Civ. Name: Ramon “Ray” Alessandro Carrington (Thomas’s half-brother), 24 Occup./Bkgrd: playboy Eth./Ntnlty: British/Italian Ht./Wt.: 5’10”, 160 lbs. Powers/Skills: Ray’s organo-crystalline body can be reconfigured into different shapes & textures. The diffraction of light around him which has a chameleon-like effect, allowing him to “blend” into his surroundings. He also possesses superhuman durability and the ability to absorb, “record”, and/or replay or redirect various frequencies on the electromagnetic spectrum. Comments: A fun-loving, spoiled rich kid, Ray is bright, with a Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. But, he can’t keep a job, because he is irresponsible and tends to bore easily.
Mudslide might sometimes sorta, kinda look something like Clay-Face here
Codename: Mudslide/Vulcan/Terrus/Ferrus/??? Civ. Name: Christopher Vassar Blake, 35 Occup./Bkgrd: ex-Army Ranger (Sgt.); ex-black ops; personal bodyguard for Dr. Thomas L. Carrington and head of security for the Carrington Estate (inc. the lab) Eth./Ntnlty: American (caucasian) fr. South Carolina Ht./Wt.: 6’2″, 215 lbs. Powers/Skills: He has the ability to temporarily merge/phase(?) his body with nearby rock, soil, mud, and metals and exert control over them (like Image’s Grunge). While doing so, he can choose to maintain a human form or some other form (e.g., rockface, pool of mud, pile/layer of dirt, etc.) However, those elements are still subject to normal laws of physics (e.g., rock cannot bend, nor can he change his physical state without the regular requirements of temperature, pressure, etc.). He exerts some form of self-directed telekinesis to move in these forms. He possesses limited invulnerability to projectiles while merged, though some energies may cause him to melt or fuse. From his military and intelligence training, he has expertise with various firearms & demolitions, as well as intelligence-gathering and associated technologies. He has also reached first-level Expert (E1) rating in Krav Maga. Comments: Blake was briefly part of an unnamed intelligence agency’s black-ops squad before being discharged for insubordination, then hired by Carrington. He has a slight temper problem, but it usually only surfaces when something goes badly due to poor intel or (what he considers) incompetence.
Codename: n/a Civ. Name: Jasper Binghamton Wellesley, 40 Occup./Bkgrd: Originally hired as Carrington’s butler/chauffeur shortly before his disease manifested, Wellesley soon became Carrington’s personal assistant. They developed an odd friendship and Wellesley was eventually promoted to head of household staff. Eth./Ntnlty: British Ht./Wt.: 5’9″, 150 lbs. Powers/Skills: Trained as a 4th generation “gentleman’s gentleman” to British high-society, Wellesley has a wide range of training, including nursing, cooking, tailoring, defensive driving, as well as additional training in firearms, wilderness survival, and various emergency conditions. He is very efficient, thorough, and an effective manager of personnel. Comments: Though not technically a member of the Tetras team (else they’d have to rename themselves “Pentas”), he is valued and well-liked by all, and his unofficial roles often include confidant and peacemaker. Ray Carrington insists on calling him “J.B.”, which annoys Wellesley, but he tolerates it. Essentially, the character is a cross between Batman’s Alfred and the Avengers’ Jarvis.
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There ya go! Comments?
Not thrilled with the name “Tetras”, but it’ll do until I come up with something better. (Your suggestions are welcome.) I enjoyed doing a bit of mix-n-match with quasi-familiar powers & appearances. Throwing in a British “butler” as an unofficial fifth member was fun, too. I still need to flesh out my other two teams a bit, but I’ll introduce you to them down the road, eventually.
‘Til next week…
* All ideas copyright Christopher Harris, 2013-2016.
Heroes and Aliens 