The Fantastic Four Movie We Should Have Got in 2005...

(FANTASTIC 4 Movie Logo, Dir. Tim Story - 2005, 20th Century Fox/Marvel Entertainment)

After Years of Development Hell, 2005 saw the release of a big budget adaptation of Fantastic Four. The adaptation was directed by Tim Story and written by Michael France and Mark Frost. The 2005 Film was produced by long time Marvel Producers Avi Arad and Kevin Feige and starred Ioan Gruffud, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis, Chris Evans, and Julian McMahon. The film was a modest success and garnered a sequel in 2007.

Spending over a decade in development it was a journey to get a Fantastic Four film to cinema. After the cancelling and discarding of Oley Sasson's The Fantastic Four, 20th Century Fox and Constantin Films began taking pitches from ambitious filmmakers, while leaning heavily towards Chris Columbus until the Studio and Columbus parted ways due to creative differences on the concept for the film. During a pitch meeting in 1995 Novelist Michael Chabon entered the fold presenting a written pitch giving a loose concept of what he envisioned for a big budget Fantastic Four Movie, which can be read here:

(Michael Chabon's FANTASTIC FOUR Pitch - 1995)

Though the pitch was interesting, Fox passed on the writer's concept, though the studio must have been impressed as they were willing to meet with him again, a year later, though this time for X-Men. The pitch is a thing of legend and has garnered some popularity among fans, and stands as one of the first pitches to suggest either a 1960's setting or a 1960's aesthetic. Though the pitch itself is something that sounds great on paper, in the wrong hands it could have been a silly disaster. This fancast envisions a version with what I conceive as the right hands for the project. Where a director (chosen by me) pitches for the job and comes across Chabon's pitch and brings him back into the fold to create what would have been 2005's Fantastic Four. This is, The Fantastic Four Movie We Should have Got in 2005...

(FANTASTIC FOUR Title Card, Dir. Tim Story - 2005, 20th Century Fox/Marvel Entertainment)

 

Composer: A film score (also sometimes called film music, background music, or incidental music) is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score forms part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects, and comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental or choral pieces called cues which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to enhance the dramatic narrative and the emotional impact of the scene in question.

          Christophe Beck [Notable Works: Big Fat Liar, Just Married, Cheaper by the Dozen]: He has been the go-to producer for Director Shawn Levy (Whom I used as the Director for this version) and has never disappointed in his scores. He's got a great sense of theme with characters and knows how to use his music to tell the story. There's no doubt that he would have adapted perfectly to the challenge of scoring Fantastic Four and give us a jazzy, retro theme that would be the anthem to the Four in a way that John Williams created an anthem for Superman. Beck is wonderful composer and would have been a benefit to this version of Fantastic Four.

Screenwriter: A screenplay or script is a written work by screenwriters for a film, video game or television program. These screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated. A play for television is also known as a teleplay.

          Michael Chabon [Notable Works: Wonder Boys {Novel}, The Final Solution {Novel}, Spider-Man 2 {Co-Writer}]: Chabon is a wonderful writer and someone who can be both constructively critical and adoring of the Fantastic Four. He gets the material and could have turned out one of the great comic book movie scripts of the century had he been able to go forward with his take on the Fantastic Four Movie.

Director: A film director is a person who directs the making of a film. Generally, a film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the script while guiding the technical crew and actors in the fulfillment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, production design, and the creative aspects of filmmaking.

          Shawn Levy [Notable Works: Just In Time, Just Married, Cheaper by the Dozen]: By 2003 Shawn had directed Four films, each of them gaining great financial success. The later two of them were done for 20th Century Fox. Levy has a great comedic eye and had masterfully constructed family films with heart, drama, and humor. He might have been considered a bit of a newer director on the field but he has the talent to really handle the material and give something great out of it. For 2005 no one else could have made a more honest and authentic Fantastic Four Movie than Levy and there's no doubt he would have taken Chabon's concept and knocked it out of the park.

Dr. Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic [Height: 5' 11", Age: 30's]: Reed Richards, also known as Mr. Fantastic, is a member of the Fantastic Four. Brilliant mathematician and physicist, Reed Richards is a humble genius and gifted idealist.

          Jason Bateman [Height: 5' 11", Age: 36 {In 2005} Notable Works: Valerie, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Arrested Development]: It's an odd choice to sell but with his ability to remain straight faced in some of the most ridiculous situations as well as play off the comedic elements naturally. He's got the presence and attitude to really play the genius aspect as well as the patriarchal aspect of the role. Considering how big he had began to get due to the critical acclaim from Arrested Development, and it's connection to Fox, it would have certainly opened the door for him to play the role and show the world how gifted an actor he is. He's done remarkable work and while not the typical choice would have been the perfect Reed Richards in a Fantastic Four Movie that leaned heavily on the team's family dynamic. 

Susan Storm/Invisible Woman [Height: 5' 7", Age: 30's]: A beautiful scientist, she is best known as Invisible Woman, a Member of the Fantastic Four, a humble woman with simple dreams of family and life as a superhero. She is the maternal glue holding the team together. In the mist of their mission to save the key life, she is captured and brainwashed by Doctor Doom and the Soviet Union, forced to fight her team until Reed breaks through her conditioning and helps her become the Invisible Woman again.

          Uma Thurman [Height: 5' 11", Age: 35 {In 2005}, Notable Works: Batman and Robin, Paycheck, Kill Bill]: Uma is a wonderful actress who at this point had done some amazing films and not so great ones. Coming off Kill Bill at the time she was seen as a new face in action and still did dramatic and comedic films. She's shown she had the heart and charisma to play the character. Seeing her take the role and play with Sue's uncertainty towards marriage and really play it in a way we haven't seen the character play. Uma has a very classic presence to her and would have been the perfect Sue Storm. She's got it all, the dramatic tension, comedic chops, and action background to make her the perfect candidate.

Johnny Storm/The Human Torch [Height: 6' 0", Age: 20's]: Johnny is the impetuous and immature brother of Sue Storm, and joined her sister in Reed Richards's flight. When Johnny got hit by the cosmic radiation that gave the rest of the team (Sue, Reed, and Ben Grimm) super powers, Johnny gained the power of fire generation and flight. His powers are rooted deeply with his character as he is often impatient like a child, prone to "flaring" up.

          Seann William Scott [Height: 5' 11", Age: 29 {In 2005}, Notable Works: American Pie, Bulletproof Monk, The Rundown]: It seems like an odd choice but honestly he's played this kind of role before, he's played that immature character. Really for Scott at the time it would have been the perfect role, he's shown that he could do action, he has always been great for comedic relief and there's no doubt he would have gotten the character.

Ben Grimm/The Thing [Height: 6' 2", Age: 30's/40's]:  Ben is the best friend of Reed Richards. Joining Reed on his space experiment as a Pilot, Ben was bombarded by the same Energy that transformed the rest of the Fantastic Four. The experiment had turned him into the monstrous Thing. He has the most internal hardships of the four but always covers it with the visage of a uncle like figure and playing himself off as care-free.

          Patrick Warburton [Height: 6' 3", Age: 42 {In 2005}, Notable Works: Family Guy, The Tick, Men in Black II]: Patrick Warburton is one of my favorite actors. He has the size, the comedic chops, the dramatic senses and the overall presence that make him the absolute perfect choice for Ben. It's funny to think he originally auditioned for the role when Roger Corman was developing his low budget film and while the film never released it still feels like a missed opportunity the part wasn't given to Warburton. With a notable career in voice acting as well as having worn full body suits there's no doubt he could fit into the role's more challenging aspect with ease due to previous experience. With a voice as recognizable as his, he would have been able to deliver Ben's iconic call to action with appropriate gravity for the line. 

Alicia Masters [Height: 5' 4", Age: Late 20's-Early 30's]: Blind Sculptress,  Alicia was not frightened by the site of Ben Grimm, she might not have been able to see his appearance but learned of the Man inside the Monster and the two began a blooming relationship.

          Aisha Tyler [Height: 6' 0", Age: 35 {In 2005}, Notable Works: Friends, CSI, 24]: While I do love Kerry Washington in the role, considering her age I wasn't entirely comfortable casting her as the love interest to a 40 year old actor. Aisha is a wonderful talent and has certainly balanced humor and drama well enough to take the role and make her just as heartfelt as Kerry Washington did.

Willie Lumpkin [Height: 5' 11", Age: 83]: The Fantastic Four's biggest fan and kindly old mail man. He's very sentimental and is looked on fondly by the team, as he's been a constant source of optimism.

          Stan Lee [Height: 5' 11", Age: 83 {In 2005}, Notable Works: X-Men, Spider-Man, Hulk]: Out of all the Stan Lee Cameos this was my favorite, it was the first and only time he had played a live action version of a character he created - Mailman Willie Lumpkin. While he's not a great actor he was full of warmth and had the charisma to get fans to fall in love with the character in a simple exchange. 

{Young} Willie Lumpkin [Height: 5' 11", Age: 40's {In the 60's}]: In this version, A younger Lumpkin would be the key life for several reasons, 1 it satisfies the numerous necessities to make the plot even more suspenseful as we meet him earlier and get to like him, then we get to see him younger as well as giving his relationship to the Fantastic Four it would be a great way of giving the stakes a more personal touch. 2, it's a smaller character and that gives a lot of room for how he could be used. what is his great insignificant act that kept the world sane - what would Doom want to prevent, without just making it too obvious or too detached. 3. It's a cheap but funny way to make Stan Lee somewhat the center of attention even if there's a new actor playing his younger self. 

         Bryan Cranston [Height: 5' 11", Age: 47 {In 2005}, Notable Works: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, King of Queens, Malcolm in the Middle]: Cranston is a wonderful actor and has certainly done many every day man type roles, and while this is certainly in that kind of wheelhouse, seeing Cranston bring his charisma and comedic chops navigating around fantastical elements plays off for some interesting comedy and heartfelt drama. 

General Ivan Kragoff/The Red Ghost [Height: 5' 11", Age: 50's]: The film has Doom partner up with the Soviets, I felt it was important to put someone in that would be that soviet presence working under Doom, and make it a known Fantastic Four enemy. Using Red Ghost does satisfy the need to keep that soviet presence as well as give the Four another physical antagonist to fight before fighting Doom. This version could see his abilities being the result of Doctor Doom's machines at the behest of the Soviet Union. With his abilities it does make it feel like he would be a good villain to fight the Four, possibly by altering his abilities so that he possess his apes and each of his three apes having a power of the four, while Ghost represents Sue's abilities. 

          Peter Stormare [Height: 6' 2", Age: 52 {In 2005}, Notable Works: The Big Lebowski, Fargo, Constantine]: Stormare is always a great actor to put in a villainous role. He's done terrific work as a villain and has the talent to carry a decent enough Russian accent to carry the role with menace and humor. He's a great actor and would have been a notable stand out in such a film.

Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom [Height: 6' 2", Age: 40's]: The Mad Scientist Monarch of Latveria and sworn Enemy of the Fantastic Four. Hellbent on taking over the world, as to provide it a loving protector and leader, he seeks to go back in time and remove a key life from history allowing a more susceptible society for him to propagate and control. Once he arrives to the past he makes connections with the Soviet Union, anticipating the interference of the Fantastic Four.

          Richard Roxburgh [Height: 5' 11", Age: 43 {In 2005}, Notable Works: Van Helsing, Mission: Impossible II, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen]: He's been in a lot of Bad movies but has never given a bad performance. He is a fantastic, Shakespearean actor, who has done such incredible work in such horrendous movies. He has that talent to intimidate and to carry a Doom with a foriegn accent that sounds appropriate and menacing. With Doom you need an actor willing to Overact and Underact at certain moments. I think Richard really has the talent to overact at a controlled point, and he has a very cold and strict demeanor about him.  I think he has the talented voice work to give Dr. Doom a foreign tongue, and he can certainly "overact" well behind a mask. He would have brought the comic book Doom to life in the 2005 Movie, and that's coming from someone who certainly enjoys the work of Julian McMahon.

(FANTASTIC FOUR Title Card, Dir. Tim Story - 2005, 20th Century Fox/Marvel Entertainment)