FANTASTIC FOUR: Early Drafts Included Doctor Doom And Surprise Roles For [SPOILER] And [SPOILER]

FANTASTIC FOUR: Early Drafts Included Doctor Doom And Surprise Roles For [SPOILER] And [SPOILER]

New details about Marvel Studios' plans for Fantastic Four have been revealed, with it said that early drafts of the screenplay included both Doctor Doom and a couple of unexpected additions to the team.

By JoshWilding - Oct 27, 2023 09:10 AM EST
Filed Under: Fantastic Four

Fantastic Four casting news is somewhere on the horizon, and we now have news about what Marvel Studios was planning in at least one draft of the screenplay. This probably will, or likely already has, changed but it may still offer some insights into what's in store for the MCU's take on Marvel's First Family. 

While Doctor Doom won't be Avengers: Secret Wars' big bad, there were indeed plans for the iconic villain to show up at the end of Fantastic Four. We don't have any context beyond that, though common sense says the scene was meant to tee him up for a bigger role in a future sequel. 

Even more interesting is the fact both Franklin and Valeria Richards were once set to appear. The children of Reed and Susan Richards, this rumour suggests the group has long been established both as a superhero team and a family that includes a supremely powerful son and a dangerously intelligent daughter. 

Whether they'll be part of future versions of Fantastic Four (and the one we see in theaters) remains to be seen. Throwing a couple of kids into the mix will help differentiate these heroes from their big screen predecessors and a team like The Avengers, for example. 

Remember, we've previously heard that the MCU's Fantastic Four will hail from the 1960s (or another reality) before they end up stranded on Earth-616. 

As of now, it appears Vanessa Kirby and Joseph Quinn are a lock for Invisible Woman and the Human Torch respectively. When it comes to the leader of the team, Adam Driver (Star Wars), Jake Gyllenhaal (Spider-Man: Far From Home), and Matt Smith (Morbius) are both said to be in the mix for Mister Fantastic. 

Antonio Banderas supposedly remains in the mix to star as Galactus, while Ebon Moss-Bachrach may end up playing the aforementioned Herald or, considering the fact we're now hearing that unnamed character will be female, probably The Thing.

No official announcements will be made until the SAG-AFTRA strike ends but work has resumed on the script. 

"I mean, we’ve been on our process consistently," director Matt Shakman recently revealed. "I’ve been on the project for a little over a year and working away hard at it the way we’d work on any film at Marvel...starting with, you know, what is the story we want to tell? What is the theme of the story? Why are we telling this story? And just developing then the best possible version of that story, and how do we want to bring these characters to life?"

In the same interview, the filmmaker confirmed he's worked with both Avatar: The Way of Water co-writer Josh Friedman and WandaVision's Cam Squires on a draft of Fantastic Four's screenplay. 

The movie is currently scheduled to be released in theaters on May 2, 2025.

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thedrudo
thedrudo - 10/27/2023, 9:40 AM
Is Ben being female an actual rumor?
Urubrodi
Urubrodi - 10/27/2023, 9:45 AM
@thedrudo - I really really really hope it's nothing more than just a rumor.
BlackStar25
BlackStar25 - 10/27/2023, 9:52 AM
@thedrudo - Yeah. Its a rumor. Would love for it to be true tho. That week would be wild and hilarious....Lmfaoooo.
WruceBayne
WruceBayne - 10/27/2023, 10:10 AM
@thedrudo - that rumor started out as a joke by Mila Kunis and picked up steam some how. Even Disney would never differentiate from the source material that much.
comicfan100
comicfan100 - 10/27/2023, 9:42 AM
I think Franklin and Valeria should already be established. It's the same way I feel about Gunn's Batman Family already being established. Because if we wait years to build up to that, we'll never get there.
Matchesz
Matchesz - 10/27/2023, 9:43 AM
@comicfan100 - right they’ll find a way to muck it up and reboot again before we get there
UncleHarm1
UncleHarm1 - 10/27/2023, 10:15 AM
@comicfan100 - But Valeria is, according to this article, a "dangerously intelligent" female. Aren't you worried about that triggering people?
comicfan100
comicfan100 - 10/27/2023, 10:36 AM
@UncleHarm1 - I could care less. I've said this before, but I'm secure enough in my masculinity that seeing smart women or POCs doesn't upset me. It's just weird that that sort of thing gets to some people.
tRuckRogers46A
tRuckRogers46A - 10/27/2023, 1:54 PM
@comicfan100 - This ^^ x1000.

That's exactly what I said to my buddy, if we wait to get those characters, it'll be another 10-15 years til we do and...and... just, no!
They've been in the comics for decades!
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 10/27/2023, 2:42 PM
@comicfan100 - well said. I also think it's pretty funny how the very next comment thread in this comment section also seemingly is about it being upsetting
dagenspear
dagenspear - 10/28/2023, 4:18 AM
@comicfan100 - I think some become paranoid. However I also think some aspects of it have become cheap cliche at this point in some cases, so I can see why some would be annoyed at it. LORD willing, no one has to like it depending, but some I think take it too personally as well.
Matchesz
Matchesz - 10/27/2023, 9:42 AM
More genius kids that can do anything and outskill Tony Stark, we dont have enough of those
ShimmyShimmyYA
ShimmyShimmyYA - 10/27/2023, 10:56 AM
@Matchesz - who do you think Tony is lmao he’s not even the smartest mf in the comics
Slotherin
Slotherin - 10/27/2023, 12:22 PM
@Matchesz - where have we even gotten one of those ?
Matchesz
Matchesz - 10/27/2023, 1:29 PM
@Slotherin -

Shuri, Peter, RiRi, Harley, Cassie Lang

@shimmyshimmyya - in the movies he invented AI & time travel after the first ironman suit, thats probably the smartest anyone can be.. lol
ShimmyShimmyYA
ShimmyShimmyYA - 10/27/2023, 1:50 PM
@Matchesz - shuri the only person confirmed to be as smart as Tony in the mcu

Will you have the same complaints when they have Reed show up?
Slotherin
Slotherin - 10/27/2023, 1:54 PM
@Matchesz - shit, I forgot how Harley blew Tony out of the water with his potato gun.
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