This Christmas I had watched all my holiday movies and TV episodes so I chose to do something that kept me jolly; watch comic book movies. I started out with the #1 movie of 2012, The Avengers. Then I wanted to see Chris Evans in his other Marvel character role so I watched Fantastic Four. But before I could move on to the other famous Marvel team, X-Men, I started dwelling on Marvel's first family. For a short time in my life I collected Fantastic Four comics, mainly do to my love of The Human Torch. But, like with most superhero books, it's all about who is writing them. Ed Brubaker brought Daredevil to new heights and Geoff Johns made Green Lantern the longest hit comic I can remember. With FF I just never felt like I found a writer I could enjoy, with the exception of Bryan Hitch. But the idea is great. They're a superhero family. Reed and Sue are mom and dad while Johnny and Ben are the squabbling siblings. They're scientists, explorers, and one of them just happens to be the smartest man of his generation.
20th Century Fox has decided to reboot the franchise that only had two films. Sure Jessica Alba wasn't my first choice for Sue Storm, but the cast wasn't bad. Chris Evans nailed The Human Torch, which is why I was so surprised when he played a great Captain America. The two FF films had it's plus's and minus's but I don't think it would fall into the realm of such horrible adaptations like Batman & Robin or Electra. I put them somewhere in the Green Lantern and The Punisher category; not great, but not bad. The director of Chronicle, Josh Tank, has been tapped to lead the 2015 release date. While I enjoyed Chronicle I don't know if Tanks can take on this franchise and bring out the greatness in it. The least I can do is give him some help with casting.
Benedict Cumberbatch as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic
Cumeberbatch is used to playing a man who is too smart for his own good in the British hit TV series, Sherlock. So it's not much of a 'strectch' to cast him as a genius scientist and leader of the Fantastic Four. Cumerbatch even co-starred with the former Reed Richards, Ioan Gruffudd, in the 2006 film, Amazing Grace. Maybe Gruffudd can give him some pointers. Cumberbtach is also about to become a big name in American film with his roles in the next Star Trek film and voicing Smaug the dragon in the next Hobbit film. Better get him locked in before another franchise snags him for their lead.
Elizabeth Banks as Susan Storm/The Invisible Woman
I first saw Ms. Banks in The 40-Year-Old Virgin and then later in the TV series, Scrubs. She had a sass and style that made me perk up in more ways than one, but she could also pull off the dramatic roles like Invincible and People Like Us. Susan Storm is the mother of the Fantastic Four and pretty much the entire Marvel Universe in my opinion. She has to have a very maternal and likable quality to her. Jessica Alba was just too young and too hot to play a mom. Banks experience as a maturing actress I think makes her ready for this role, and she as already auditioned for it once, but was beat out by Alba. I think it's time we give her a second look.
Joel Edgerton as Ben Grimm/The Thing
Originally for this role I thought about the classic sci-fi tough guy; Adam Baldwin. But then I found the idea for Joel Edgerton as the FF's muscle. He's been a boxer in Warrior, a knight in King Arthur, and a soldier in Zero Dark Thirty. I think he's got more than enough fighting experience. The original Ben Grimm, Michael Chiklis, was a huge fan of The Thing and convinced the studio to let him wear a suit over going with a CGI Thing. While I like this idea he was shorter than some of his cast mates. The Thing gives the Hulk a tough time in a fight so he has to look pretty bad-ass. I'd go CG and just talk to Peter Jackson about how to make him look bad-ass.
Hunter Parrish as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch
Need a blonde-haired young male who can seem a little juevinile? Well look no further than the kid from Weeds. Parrish has had other smaller roles in movies like 17, Again and It's Complicated, but it's his eight seasons of playing Silas Botwin that makes me feel like he can turn this character from a snot-nosed punk to a true superhero in three films. After seeing Chris Evans play Steve Rogers it's hard for me seeing him play The Human Torch, so I need someone else to step in and bring this character to life. Enter Hunter Parrish.
Eric Bana as Namor/Sub-Mariner
I thought Bana played a pretty good Bruce Banner in 2003's Hulk, but then Edward Norton came along and looked like Banner did in the comic books. Then of course they were both trumped by Mark Ruffalo's interpretation that closely resembled the late Bill Bixby. In any event, Bana has a superhero knack playing Hector in Troy and even Nero in Star Trek. He's got the look and the upper body muscle to make this arrogant king of the seas come to life. Namor has always had a thing for Sue Storm, which has always been a pain in Reed's side. However he could just as well be in the next X-Men film, technically being the first mutant ever.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Victor Von Doom/Dr. Doom
Meyers played King Henry VIII for 4 seasons on Showtime's The Tudors. So he's used to being a ruling dictator. He's got a great voice that can project through the metal mask, one thing Julian McMahon didn't have as the original Doom. Doom is Reed's arch-enemy so he's got to be everything he is not, and everything he is. Bring in Meyers and his experience with the ladies!
Christina Hendricks as Alicia Masters
Alicia Masters, a.k.a. the Puppet Masters daughter, is most famously a red-head so I'd keep her that way. Right now Hendricks is the most famous red-head in Hollywood with her roles in Mad Men and Firefly. Ben Grimm is a great guy who looks like a giant rock, so I say we give him a blind girlfriend who is smoking hot. Hence with the Hendricks.
Of course my dream scenario is that Fox lets go of all it's Marvel properties like FF, X-Men, and Spider-Man so that they may join the Marvel Studio universe and maybe one day, one day, we'll get a Civil War movie. But that is just a dream, and for now, I'll try to stay in this reality. The same cannot be said for the Fantastic Four.
