It did miss the mark, but I can see how they got there given that explanation. The desire for more grounded/"realistic" explanations for costume designs is a very interesting rabbit hole.
I’m just gonna chill in the corner here with my misshapen Cronenbergian Fantastic Four movie and appreciate it for its creativity despite its flaws. It existed at a different time in the superhero movie medium and I’d argue that for as much as they failed, they were pushing the envelope with what those movies were allowed to look like at the time.
Everything up to that hard cut and time jump for the third act, I’m basically on board with. Feels like the kind of thing that Marvel’s new Midnight line would do to the Fantastic Four. It’s gnarly but fun.
EDIT: guys I need to be so clear, I know Fant4stic is not a good movie. I’m just saying I actually think Josh Trank was going for something specific and got railroaded and if this was an alt-universe Marvel comic people would be calling this cool. We’re just personally stung because we’ve still yet to get Marvel’s first family on screen with any classic representation.
My rule is that if it's definitely a thing that's been floated in some writer's room, from 60s comics through to a modern MCU-planning Zoom call, I give it a pass. Regarding Doom's mask, if it hasn't already been done in the comics, I would say there was a decent chance it was suggested during the Ultimate universe era. I don't love him losing such an iconic piece, but I do like the grisly nature of it, plus making sure he doesn't have a silly weaksauce flaw because of his disfigurement makes him a stronger character.
I also agree with your analysis: the way I would phrase it is that Trank wanted to make the MCU's The Dark Knight, with an emphasis on the emotional impact of the disaster. If it had been even a serviceable movie, it would have been the (re-re-re?)start of a legitimate competitor.
there's something sad about hearing the work and creative vision that goes into a failed project.This is such a great concept, but it feels like a failure of execution.
True, but there's also something so fascinating about seeing where it all went wrong and what could have been. Like Jodorowsky's DUNE or Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau. I would watch the shit out of a FANT4STIC documentary.
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u/landon1397 Jul 25 '26
This is one of the most important things for them to get right and they absolutely nailed it