One thing is very clear whenever new information is released for Josh Trank's THE FANTASTIC FOUR: most of you do not have high hopes for the reboot. I don't either, and I doubt any of these latest comments from writer/producer Simon Kinberg are going to change your thoughts on Trank's upcoming film.
One of the biggest complaints from fans has been the age of the cast for THE FANTASTIC FOUR, and in an interview with Den of Geek, Simon Kinberg says the characters won't be in high school in the film, however they won't be superhero veterans either.
We’re definitely telling a younger story that the original films did. It depends on what books you look at. There are some, like the Ultimate books, that tell this story. So it is an origin story of the Fantastic Four, and it does follow them before they really know what a superhero is. They’re older than high school, but they’re not quite grown into the world. If anything, this is a coming of age story.
In the original comics, The Fantastic Four gained superpowers after being exposed to cosmic rays during a mission to outer space, but in the Ultimate Comics, it is from being teleported into a parallel universe called the N-Zone. When asked, Simon Kinberg wouldn't say which version will be used in the reboot.
There is archetypal imagery of how they get their powers, for sure, and it does involve some sort of scientific travel.
Kinberg also recently told Crave THE FANTASTIC FOUR will definitely have more drama than comedy, and the tone will be somewhere between Sam Raimi's SPIDER-MAN and Trank's CHRONICLE.
It’s a much more grounded, gritty, realistic movie than the last couple movies. If I had to say, the tone of it would be somewhere on the spectrum between Spider-Man and Chronicle. Josh Trank’s instincts are to be as realistic and grounded and real with this stuff as possible,” says the producer. “In many ways I would say it’s definitely more of a drama than comedy.
I think there's a very good chance the N-Zone will be used to explain how they received their superpowers, but does a different origin make me more excited for the reboot? Eh, not really. Maybe it's just because I've never been a huge fan of the comics, and an awesome trailer could always change my mind, but right now, Josh Trank's THE FANTASTIC FOUR isn't doing much for me.
THE FANTASTIC FOUR starring Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, Michael B. Jordan and Toby Kebbell is scheduled to open on June 19th, 2015.