Is Fox Really Developing a Fantastic 4 Reboot?

By Jeff Olson
March 9, 2009
Source: IESB

IESB is reporting that 20th Century Fox is looking into rebooting the Fantastic 4 franchise. This is not only unexpected but rather unnecessary. Did anybody really ask for more Fantastic 4? Apparently Fox is planning on doing a complete reboot for the franchise. This means a new story, with new actors, and a new vision. The first two films were mediocre successes. They were not near as popular as the Spiderman or X-Men series which have seen both critical and commercial acclaim. According to Fox, the new Fantastic 4 will be “less bubble gum.” The studio wants to take a darker tone for the movie and the best way to achieve this is to completely start over from scratch.

Fox has noted that they want to follow the Iron Man formula which was a box office and critical success. Iron Man was funny, entertaining, and had a serious side. The Fantastic 4 was promoted as Fox’s family superhero franchise. It was a good choice to take the kids to and people of all ages could enjoy as well as appreciate the characters they grew up reading in comic books.

The problem with the films was that they couldn’t be taken seriously. They were just too cheesy. The special effects were just average, the stories were below average, and the fan base was dwindling by the time the second film came around.

So what will a reboot do for the franchise? I am really surprised that this is even being considered, but the idea does kind of intrigue me. I was not a huge fan of either of the Fantastic 4 movies, but i think a reboot could be cool if done correctly. The original two films were light family fare, and while they were no Iron Man or Dark Knight, they are still entertaining movies which people enjoyed.

If a reboot does actually happen what would you like to see? I think this is the set-up for a great discussion. Who would you like to see play the Fantastic 4? What actors could be good replacements for the original four? Who should direct this? Let us know your thoughts below.