I'd much rather see an older cast. I'd much rather see Reed Richards have gray temples. I've given you 2 casts; 1 story. The first cast is my preferred age range for the characters while the second is more in line with, what I believe is, Fox's choice, given the age of the rebooted cast. I'd also prefer to see the Inhumans AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, Namor in an FF movie. Since that isn't happening, I went ahead without them.
FANTASTIC 4: WHAT LIES BETWEEN
We are intro'ed to genius college students, Reed Richards and Victor Von Doom. Both are invited to the annual *Lee Kirby's Young Prodigy Awards. An event where only 1 out of 20 young, future scientists are rewarded with a 5 year contract that can be extended upon meaningful progress, in their specific field, at the famed Baxter Labs (*founded in November, 1961), office and home to the world's greatest minds. The 2 present their individual inventions and theories, along with 18 other young prodigies.
Board members consist of the following:
Dr Elder
Dr Santini
Dr Ebersol
Dr Kragoff
Dr Shinsky
And headed by Dr Bentley "The Wizard" Wittman, known as the most brilliant man alive.
The liaison for Baxter Labs; the one who awards the prodigy, is Baxter's leading radiology scientist, Phillip Masters.
(Any of those names ring a bell?)
Each apprentice has a name tag; as an Easter egg, the names have first names and first letters of the last; the only other prodigy to take any screen time is Alyssa Moy.
The others will barely be noticed:
1) Amadeus C. (The youngest, below 10 years old)
2) Anthony S. 3) Bruce B.
4) Curtis C.
5) Henry M.
6) Hector E.
7) Henry P.
8) Maris M.
9) Norman O.
10) Red W.
11) Sorba R.
12) Rhona B.
13) Moira M.
14) Vita R.
15) Suzi E.
16) Monica R.
17) Maya H.
18) Alyssa Moy (Do you know who they are?)
Before the event, Moy shares a flirtatious moment with Richards. It is interrupted by Doom. In attendance is Reed's closest friend, NASA recruit, Ben Grimm. During the showcase, Doom presents a Von-bot. By far, this Von-bot is the most advanced robot today. Next up, Richards presents a devise that can open the door to the N-Zone, named after his late father. The portal, hypothetically, leads into this zone and out, into parallel dimensions.
He gets a standing ovation after showing a small window, 6 in. by 6 in. Furious, Doom storms the stage screaming that this small window proves nothing and, when he kicks it over, it explodes in his face, leaving him with a single scar that covers eye to lip.
He is introduced to the head of Baxter Labs, Franklin Storm. The next few quick scenes show Richards' years of research, his first meeting with Dr Storm's newly hired daughter, Sue, and Doom's self-deportation to his homeland in Latveria.
A side note to Reed's adjustment is Sue's battle to fit in. Not only is she perceived as "spoiled" by the belief that she does not belong there (proven incorrect time and time again) and is only there through her paternal connections, but, by being breath-takingly beautiful, she's a fish-out-of-water among the nerdy, dweeby, scientists. (If they were to get the rights of Namor over at Fox, this would have played heavily into her connection with him)
Doom finds a home amongst gypsies, he is seen dealing in magic and donning the mask to conceal his scar (burning his entire face as it is red hot; it sears but he does not scream), as Richards rises to prominence. Richards, working closely with the rookie Dr (Sue) Storm, a bioengineer, works to perfect the N-Zone portal, while Dr Masters takes on an advisory role.
Reed is also reacquainted with Dr Alyssa Moy, when she is eventually hired, for whom he grows fond. The idolization/crush Sue has for him is obvious to everyone but him. Moy, nearly as smart, and closer in age, rivals for his attention. The 3 work the program together. Sue's younger brother, Johnny, often stops by. Through out all of this, mishaps and scares occur within the small portals, leading the trio to surmise that something lives within the N-Zone, and to make a pact to keep the secret among themselves. The scientific curiosity to accomplish the goal outweighs the fear of the unknown.
As the program nears it's completion, a carrier is built to transport the 4 scientists (Reed, the ladies and Masters) into the portal. A pilot is needed and Richards offers up his old roommate and NASA astronaut, Ben Grimm. The expedition becomes quite public and takes a few years before they are ready. As the "Fantastic Voyage," the expedition's given name, nears, the world watches every step of these 5 on TV.
Doom becomes the dictator of his 3rd-world Latveria, complete with royal green cape.
45-60 minutes into the movie, it is the day of the televised voyage. Johnny, found flirting with the daughter of Dr Masters, Alicia, is grabbed and chucked away by Grimm, who jokes about the kid bothering her. He follows that with a wink and walks away from the blushing blonde. As soon as he turns the corner, the brash Johnny is back at it. This time, he's interrupted by another jealous man; her father. Masters nervously pulls the young man aside and confesses that, minutes ago, he was contacted by the police and that his wife had been found dead. His head was not clear and it would be unsafe if he took part in the voyage. However, televised, and with Baxter's reputation, as well as Sue's on the line, he explains that Johnny should secretly suit up and take his place; Johnny agrees.
As Masters walks away he grins devilishly and calls... Himself. He tells himself (#2) it's done and now no one can take Alicia away from me. Those amateurs, they won't make it out of there alive, not with that creature in there (revealing he knows), waiting for them. #2 walks into his house (the crime scene) and the cops are baffled by there being no explainable trail outside of her puppet collection covered in blood. One doll grins.
Johnny quickly suits up to avoid any bad press on his sister's big day, going in the Dr's place instead. They are successfully transported, in full space suit garb, into the N-Zone. Regretfully, many in attendance were unable to project the immense explosion that took place upon entry. Several scientists were killed and several more were severely injured. Among the dead was Dr Franklin Storm and among the injured was, the now blind, Alicia Masters.
As they unmask, with the the air proven breathable, they discover, to their dismay, that Johnny has taken Masters' place. Weeks go by, and each voyager displays signs of his or her ability. Johnny becomes dehydrated and overheated. Ben grows so heavy he shows signs of momentary paralysis and his skin hardens to painful extremes, similar to ichthyosis. Sue is losing her breathe, nearly, and often, suffocating at times. Reed's feet are dragging, ripping his ankles open, he seems to be melting. Moy is suffering from migraines, seizures and hemorrhages. Days go by and they are starving and angry. Reed surmises that the imbalance has a direct correlation with the dimension. Their symptoms worsen; Moy can no longer speak.
Scouring for food, the 5 are discovered and captured by other-worldly soldiers but not after they valiantly fight back. They bring the protagonists to their ruler, Annihilus. Within minutes, the incredibly intelligent insectoid is able to communicate with Reed and the others. Reed analytically breaks down the science behind the warlord and decides they must break free. Several more weeks go by and the warlord badgers and tortures the prisoners, attempting to pry from them a way to escape this world and re-enter theirs, hoping to conquer that one as well.
Moy is unconscious. One by one, the Earthlings evolve. Each one becomes a version of a classic element; Earth, fire, water (Reed), air (Sue) and time & space {empathy/telepathy}(Alyssa).
Annihilus begins to study the 4 mobile prisoners as they cope with, and learn, their powers. On the brink of being able to re-enter Earth, the 4 stage an attack after escaping. Alyson Moy uses her powers to unify her team, defying the negativity that overwhelms every inhabitant. As well, she is able to reopen a portal to home. Annihilus enters the portal and the heroes chase him as Grimm carries a comatose Moy. On their tails is the Warlord's faithful armada. Telepathically, Moy communicates with the others to leave her and she will make sure the armada does not enter, closing the portal for good.
Shocked, the world watches as Annihilus enters and demolishes the Baxter Labs, the streets and moving towards the rest of the city. The Fantastic 4 emerge and immediately defend their world. Doom watches from his throne, reveling in Richard's apparent end. Eventually, when all seems lost, a voice speaks in the minds of each of the 4. Moy tells them to stand back and never attempt to re-enter the N-Zone. She's not sure how long she can keep him at bay. In that instant, as the world watches, and we learn through news anchors filming the battle, it has been less than an hour since the exit of the Fantastic Voyagers, the other-worldly creature is sucked back into that in which he dwells.
After Alyson Moy's, Dr Franklin Storm's and the other deceased scientists have a memorium, weeks pass by and the 4 surviving heroes are revered. Dubbed the Fantastic 4, they become celebrities.
A door to a huge room within his castle (yup, no longer a 3rd world country, thanks to Doom) opens to reveal thousands of Doombots. He turns to a minion and says "It is time."
FF2: DAY OF DOOM
This is Doom's movie, co-starring the FF. The events of the first movie are seen from Doom's POV. We watch the rise of Doom beginning with his departure from America. How he got hooked up with the gypsies, and his path towards dictatorship. We see Doom as his people see him, a hero, lifting his nation from poverty to power, akin to Hitler, that is the theme.
Meanwhile, Grimm has gone into seclusion. Although the Fantastic 4 are celebrities, Grimm is made a laughing stock due to his deformities. Alicia, disregarding her father's wishes, and not feeling sorry for herself or her handicap, visits Grimm and connects with the lug.
The media dubs each member their familiar alias, but forever asking the question what was, and where is, that "Thing."
A 3rd into the movie, Doom invades New York with his Doombots and minimal soldiers (it's his wish not to put his people in harms way like other "more savage" countries. He targets his nemesis. Discouraged that Reed does not hold a grudge and embarrassed that his incursion fails, he uses his political standings as a sovereign, non-offensive nation to gain amnesty.
Full of self pity, Thing shuns Alicia, leaving her to fall for Johnny. Sue and Reed struggle to bond, after the stinging loss of Alyssa.
The 4 come together, and work together, to defeat Doom during his second barrage, barely. In the end, Alicia puts herself out there for Ben, and the 2 reconcile. Sue and Reed are surprised, though Johnny is not and tells her to keep a secret. You 2 belong together, he deserves to be happy. Why, Johnny Storm, that's the most mature thing you've ever said.
FF3: TRUST NO ONE
Although the 2 nations of Latveria and Wakanda have been at war for years, the arrogant dictator, Dr Doom, requests the newly-appointed king of Wakanda, T'Challa, and his queen, Ororo, visit Latveria in order to discuss a treaty. Shaken by this new proposal, the king arrives alone, leaving his queen in command of, and to protect, his homeland. The aggressive aloofness of the iron-clad Machiavellian leader raises more questions. Doom offers a treaty under the guidelines that, if the 2 nations are to ever find themselves in conflict with a third party, the ruler will not hesitate to fight alongside the conflicted as long as the aggressor is not Latveria or Wakanda.
The catch is that all tech and military secrets can not, and will not, be held from one another effective immediately. Seeing this as a devious plan for Doom to extract from Wakanda her secrets, the king declines. The enraged Latverian retaliates with forceable control over the black magics; the 2 find themselves in a classic clash wherein T'Challa reveals his prowess as the Black Panther.
Government officials call for a meeting with the science adventures, the Fantastic 4, in order to discuss top secrets that have been lost without a trace. At first, it seems as though they are looking for Reed's advisement, however it quickly turns to accusation. They accuse Sue, due to her powers.
When Black Panther returns home, he and Ororo discuss the complexity of Doom's proposal. N'Gassi, his advisor, asks to enter. I trust your visit with Dr Doom went as you expected, your majesty? Am I to believe that he fears an attack from outsiders? Did he give you any details into the origins of his paranoia?
Elsewhere, Doom's mask and cape lay on the floor of an empty palace. As things settle down at Baxter Labs, more hints are given to the audience relating to espionage.
After the destruction of the Skrull Throneworld by the cosmic entity Galactus, Veranke, a prophetic, somewhat unhinged, prisoner, becomes Empress by lineage, and guides an invasion of Earth, armed with the knowledge of the N-Zone, the only plausible place off limits to the devourer of worlds, gained from having studied the Fantastic Four.
As a rogue evangelist, she has tasked several of her followers, throughout the years, to infiltrate Earth's defenses. We watch Kl'rt win the contest and walk towards his reward. She asks for reports from Wakanda, America, Atlantis, Genosha, the Himalayas and The Savage Land.
Black Panther decides to revisit Doom, this time, with Storm, only to learn from his people that he is missing. Arriving in America, Panther accuses the Fantastic 4. After an initial, uneasy, introduction, together, the 6 heroes witness Alicia trying to recreate the N-Zone portal. Reed engulfs her, trying to both stop and protect her at the same time. Security officer Willie Lumpkin charges in to quell the situation as everyone looks on, stunned. Before their eyes, Lumpkin transforms into the Super-Skrull. As the attention is off of Alicia, she too becomes a Skrull.
Temporarily defeated, the Skrulls escape into the city. The movie then goes into the who-can-you-trust scenario. In the end, as Earth and the heroes prevail, Doom escapes his prison and, if you want, at any point within the movie, any of them can be momentarily replaced.
Doom gathers the Wizard, Klaw, Diablo, Magneto, Morgan Le Fay and Mad Thinker in order to form a Cabal of gifted, entitled, individuals.
The older cast...
Mr Fantastic
Andrew Lincoln/Casey Affleck
Lincoln, of Walking Dead, is one of the most common choices you'll come across for the leader of the 4. However conventional it may be, it is my number one pick. He also happens to be my top pick of a seasoned Dr Strange. Many of the same actors you come across for Richards also double as top picks for Strange, so it's not uncommon that I feel this way.
As for Affleck, at 38, of Jessie James fame, he is as unconventional as they come. I feel that his darkness would blend well in this character. If, for some reason, you don't like Lincoln, or if his Dead schedule would not allow for this, I offer to you, Casey Affleck.
Invisible Woman
Yvonne Stahovski, 32, known for Dexter and 24, is a favorite for Warbird/Binary (let's not call her Mrs/Captain Marvel, please) whereas I prefer Sackhoff in that role. Stahovski is better for the beautiful, and very strong (physically and mentally) Sue Storm.
Thing
Kevin McKidd, 40, Percy Jackson and Flashpoint Paradox (Thomas Wayne), is big and imposing enough, not to mention, has the deep voice that's gonna sound great behind all that rock. Mo cap Thing, of course.
Human Torch
Max Thieriot, 25, Bates Motel. Here's a guy that could've pulled off anything from Daredevil to Star-Lord. He's got a great sense about him and would be such a different look from Evans that it would be easy to watch. Maybe that's why they went with MBJ. It's such a radical change. Maybe that's why they picked a puny actor for Grimm as well ;)
Dr Doom
Jude Law, 41, Sherlock Holmes, has that affably evil thing perfected. To personify the regal arrogance of Doom one must channel that level of evil. Law, the charismatic, magnificent, Bastard, has a stranglehold on a performance like this.
Alicia Masters
Jennifer Morison, 35, Once Upon a Time, has the soft beauty of Masters. She so likable, but she has proven herself to not be taken lightly when acting strong either.
Alyssa Moy
-Reed Richards had proposed to Moy, Moy turning him down with the claim that they had a 'duty' to (science) (the only other person alive that was able to possibly rival his intellect besides Doom and Wizard with all others not even coming close). Reed did not tell Susan this until some time into the last movie, long after Sue and Reed were together.
-According to the current Fantastic Four writer, Mark Millar, Moy will again play a role in the comic as he explores her relationship with Reed Richards much more in depth. Millar said: "It just always struck me that Reed would have had someone prior to Sue, since he's ten years older than she is. Also, Sue's so different from Reed and I felt the girl out there would be much more like he was, a female Reed Richards of sorts, and someone he'd have met at university.
As luck would have it, Chris Claremont created exactly such a character and her name is Alyssa Moy. Her nickname in our story is Mrs. Fantastic and you'll see why when you read the first issue."
-In 'Fantastic Four Season One', Alyssa is a valued employee of Reed from well before their trip into space, helping out with everything from scientific endeavors to illegal clean up of crashed vehicles.
Lena Heady, from the movie 300, at 40, has as hard of a character as she does an easy one in that her character is so completely fresh to an audience, and this is a completely new spin on her.
Franklin Storm
James Remar, 60, would, essentially, be very similar to an older Reed, in that he has distanced himself from his children and immerse himself in science. I just love Remer and feel that he can excel in many different roles, both tough and intelligent. The respect I'm guessing these actors would have for him would bleed over into the screen through their characters.
Phillip Masters
Brad Dourif, 64, Child's Play, is the actor that fits this role the best. No need for an A-lister for such a small part. A well known character actor creepy and entertaining enough to make u smile and give you goosebumps is the way to go here. It's really another Easter egg, possibly the longest one in a film, but, as it leads to nowhere, I'll call it an egg.
Ororo/Storm
Danai Gurira/Naomie Harris
Danae Gurira, 36, Walking Dead, is about as good as it's going to get for (an older) Storm (I prefer younger, although, making her as distinguished as her peers is more important) and I'm surprised this hasn't popped up yet. She is physically capable and, given her true appearance as compared to her Dead character, she's capable of transforming herself quite well. Now, if Lincoln gets the part of Reed, than I'll go with my number 2 choice. Naomie Harris, 37, Skyfall, is all over this cite as Storm and with good reason.
Black Panther
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 37, known most recently for 12 Years a Slave, is the most popular, older Black Panther amongst fans. This cast is possibly the least out-of-the-box I've had with Reed/Lincoln and Storm/Harris being the other 2. I wanted one of Hollywood's most respected actors (under 55) who many predict to be the next Denzel Washington, James Earl Jones or Sidney Poitier.
The younger cast...
Mr Fantastic
Jamie Dornan, 32, Fifty Shades, Once Upon a Time, has, from where I stand, a unique quality. Dornan personifies Reed a thousand times better than almost any other choice. I guess it's that, as nerdy and awkward as Reed, he has to step up to the plate and lead a team into deadly situations with their full trust and walk them out alive. Dornan is as nerdy as he is a dashing leading man, I guess.
Invisible Woman
Evan Rachel Wood, 26, The Wrestler, is the actress I needed in order to prove Sue is the matriarch of the matriarchal first family. It's hard for younger actresses to carry themselves with dignity and authority. Few can; she can.
Thing
Theo James, 29, Divergent, may be a bit younger than I'd hoped, but I keep telling myself 3 years in Hollywood is nothing. I'd present him as the same age as Reed. In truth, I don't know anything about Theo except that his star is rising and I wanted to capitalize. If Fox casts a proven actor over a rising star, I'd cast Paul Wesley, 32, Vampire Diaries, based on the several awards he's earned.
Human Torch
Jack Reynor, 22, had his breakout role as the lead in the critically acclaimed Irish film What Richard Did, for which he won an IFTA Award for Best Actor. Since then, he has appeared in Delivery Man and featured as one of the leads in Transformers: Age of Extinction.
Dr Doom
Joel Kinnaman, 35, Robocop, thankfully missed out on becoming Thor, but that doesn't take away from the fact that he's on the cusp of something bigger. He has an evil look to him and may flourish as the kingly Von Doom.
Alicia Masters
Britney Snow, 28, John Tucker Must Die, Pitch Perfect, 96 Minutes, has the necessary sweetness and innocence that needs to shine in Alicia.
Alyssa Moy
Mary Elizabeth Winstead, 29, is one of the more popular and well-liked actresses from the perspective of comic book fans for good reason. Moy is a fresh character that needs to command appreciation and respect from her first showing to her last. That's hard to come by when you're dealing with actors that many haven't grown up with, admiring. MEW has the it factor capable of this.
Franklin Storm
Ralph Fiennes, 51, is one of Hollywood's greatest actors. How would he not be perfect in this, or a thousand other, roles.
Phillip Masters
Andy Serkis, 50, is due for some face time. His quick stint as the sea captain on King Kong wasn't enough. Let him relish as the Puppet Master.
Storm
Nicole Beharie, (age) 29, Sleepy Hollow, (movie) 42, makes me think I've landed on another spectacular choice for Storm, albeit a younger (which I prefer) hero that can be either an active member of the X-Men or the in-active member who now resides in Wakanda as their queen.
Black Panther
Aldis Hodge, 27, Leverage, was my pick when I took a second shot at assuming the future of the MCU in my Wakanda fancast. See, I was thinking that title was more catchy and safer than calling it Black Panther. The more I think about it, the angrier I get. Why hasn't the MCU announced this character or movie? Forget them. Fox, you need him. Bring him in. I'm guessing/hoping he's got That duel ownership thing going for him like a few other characters, but I'm not certain. This movie can work with or without him; I'd rather it work with him.
The cast, no matter what...
Annihilus
Dolph Ludgren, Expendables, Rocky 4, can beat the cast in an actual fight probably. That being said, we might as well throw some bug prosthetics on him and call it a wrap.
Queen Veranke
Missy Peregrym, Reaper, Rookie Blues, is, or I should say was, my number 2 pick for Wonder Woman. She's a good actress with a great look. As the Skrull queen, she'd be an imposing, hands on, threat.
Kl'rt the Super-Skrull
Kevin Grevioux, Underworld, is a common go-to for a brute. I see no reason he wouldn't be a force as the Super-Skrull.
Lyja
Summer Glau, Terminator, is the most appropriate action star for the fighting spy. There's a serious lack of action starlets.