The Fantastic Four: First Steps

[BrandX]

5 hours ago, Without_Pause said:

I liked 300. I'm not sure what else of his I have seen, but I also really don't care to watch anything else at this point. 

 

I should've stated, I meant his DCEU 😛

[BrandX]

4 hours ago, Techwright said:

 

You know, there's an incredibly easy fix for all this: the glasses.  Have Fortress of Solitude Jor-El A.I. design and print a high-tech Kryptonian device that looks like a normal pair of eyeglasses.  When Clark dons them, they do some high-tech Kryptonian mumbo-jumbo that messes with people's perceptions.  To any looking at him, glasses-wearing Clark appears similar but visibly different enough that he's never really considered.  In essence, these Kryptonian glasses become his mask.  

 

Doctor Who had a similar concept they called a "perception filter".  It was designed to hide something in plain sight by influencing people to look anywhere but straight at the object.

 

Pretty sure Henry Cavill showed how well one can stay hidden in plain clothes as he stood under a Superman billboard, in a Superman t-shirt, with glasses, I believe, and no one recognized him.

[Troo]

7 minutes ago, BrandX said:

 

Pretty sure Henry Cavill showed how well one can stay hidden in plain clothes as he stood under a Superman billboard, in a Superman t-shirt, with glasses, I believe, and no one recognized him.

 

[BrandX]

2 minutes ago, Troo said:

 

 

Yup.  No glasses too.

 

Hats would do wonders too.

 

But besides the glasses, I believe one of the things they've said is no one would buy mild manner reporter Clark Kent as Superman or that Superman would have a secret identity.

[Luminara]

2 hours ago, TTRPGWhiz said:

In-universe, Superman would have the most recognizable face on the planet. This just doesn't hold water. It wouldn't take someone yelling his first name for people to figure out who he is. Internet 'sleuths' deduce much less public people's identities (and jobs, addresses, families, etc.) all the time. And that's without WayneTech.

 

 

2 hours ago, TTRPGWhiz said:

There's no need to twist logic this hard

 

How is pointing out that announcing his given name to everyone would make it incredibly easy for anyone to dig up all of the information they need "twisting logic"?  You're acting like basic investigative techniques don't actually exi-

 

Oh, shit, you're from the Snyderverse.

 

3 hours ago, TTRPGWhiz said:

His disguise is dumb.

 

I never argued against that point.  What I said was that having one of the characters announcing his given name in public shattered the suspension of disbelief.  You're the one spazzing out over it, not me.

[JMacClear]

On 2/12/2025 at 11:15 AM, battlewraith said:

None of the MCU characters are accurate to the superheroes that I followed in comics as a child. Antman wasn't a goofus. Thor spent half his time as a physician who walked with a cane. Iron Man was more of an engineer than a scientist and he didn't have expertise on time travel and all the other stuff he does in the MCU. The classic Reed Richards from the comic books is basically like a character from one of those "father-knows-best" sitcoms. An accurate portrayal to how he was in the comics would be laughably anachronistic in 2025. 

 

I get the complaint that "I don't picture this actor as ....", but you really don't know until you give them a chance. Ian Flemming didn't want Sean Connery as Bond initially. Roald Dahl hated Gene Wilder as Wonka. An actor's performance sometimes drives an evolution of the character. As people have pointed out, not being accurate to Kirby era Reed might be a good thing.

 

 

 

I don't agree universally with all your statements - but  I specifically concur with your sentiment. None of the Marvel Movie nor DC  Characters are representative of their comic counterparts -  especially pre movie.  Especially of the pre-2000 era. Especially before John Byrne / Allan Moore /  Frank Miller et al of that generation really did deep introspections of the silver aged heroes. 

 

I do note 'perhaps' a move by the comics to actually mimic the movies somewhat more.

 

In addition to the characteristics of the actors showing through a'la your Sean Connery  example... the directors and writers seem also to bend the traits of  the hero as well. The directors and  writers will 'pinch' elements of the most beloved story arcs of characters without almost any reference to the years and years of lore and build up to these epic confrontations of enemies / faults / capabilities /  mistakes ./ successes / losses and gains.  What comes across to the loyal reader is the culmination often of years.... in the movies its a 3 minute flashback. Further these writers rarely use a "full adaptation' but rather makes changes / steal bits and pieces /  recycle bits and pieces in the next episode. 

 

Its sad because what 'moved' comic geeks like me would likely move non comic  geek movie goers if they were provided that depth and time. While this is obviously an opinion - my 'proof' if such can be said is the success of the Lord of the  Rings movie trilogy and especially the success of the "extended Directors Cut" version. While they made  monumental shifts in a lot of characterization and plot - movie goes got  invested because time and the small details matter.

 

I concur - never dismiss a new actor as a candidate for a role as " Captain America / Iron Man / Superman/ Wonder Women " etc. 

 

You may not love the new actor as much as you did the historic first - but then the historic  first actor rarely represented the character I read in 1980. 

 

In the end I enjoy both but accept they  are different.

[TTRPGWhiz]

2 hours ago, Luminara said:

 

 

 

How is pointing out that announcing his given name to everyone would make it incredibly easy for anyone to dig up all of the information they need "twisting logic"?  You're acting like basic investigative techniques don't actually exi-

 

Oh, shit, you're from the Snyderverse.

 

 

I never argued against that point.  What I said was that having one of the characters announcing his given name in public shattered the suspension of disbelief.  You're the one spazzing out over it, not me.

[TTRPGWhiz]

Sigh. I’m saying the first time anyone saw Clark Kent, they’d say “that’s Superman”, and vice versa. Superman shows up, some facial recognition spots him, it says “hey that’s Clark Kent”. You don’t need some lady saying his name for people to figure it out; it would have happened the second he showed up.

 

If it’s “spazzing out” to point that out, sure. 

[JKCarrier]

Clark's disguise might not make strict logical sense (as if anything about Superman and his ridiculous powers made logical sense). But it works metaphorically, because we all know from experience how often people will dismiss or underestimate someone based on superficial impressions.

[Glacier Peak]

Alright folks, love the Superman discussion, but this thread is about the Fantastic Four movie. Let's keep the discussion about that. 

[ZacKing]

32 minutes ago, Glacier Peak said:

Alright folks, love the Superman discussion, but this thread is about the Fantastic Four movie. Let's keep the discussion about that. 

 

Forgot to log into your GM account before posting this. 🤣

[battlewraith]

13 hours ago, JMacClear said:

Its sad because what 'moved' comic geeks like me would likely move non comic  geek movie goers if they were provided that depth and time. While this is obviously an opinion - my 'proof' if such can be said is the success of the Lord of the  Rings movie trilogy and especially the success of the "extended Directors Cut" version. While they made  monumental shifts in a lot of characterization and plot - movie goes got  invested because time and the small details matter.

 

A bit of a tangent here, but I recently watched a video comparing Aragorn to Jon Snow. George R. R. Martin wrote the character of Jon Snow as a sort of rebuttal to Tolkein's version of Aragorn. However, the Peter Jackson movies complicate Aragorn's character in a way that somewhat answers Martin's complaints. But then the tv version of Jon Snow is seemingly influenced by Jackson's version of Aragorn--which actually works to the detriment of what Martin was going for with that character lol. 

 

[Techwright]

1 hour ago, Glacier Peak said:

Alright folks, love the Superman discussion, but this thread is about the Fantastic Four movie. Let's keep the discussion about that. 

 

Would the Fantastic Four, especially Reed Richards, quickly realize Clark Kent is just Superman with glasses? 😉

 

 

 

Okay, more on target:  I've not always been a fan of the Fantastic Four in the comics.  When they go way out there on the whole battling "phenomenal cosmic powers" thing, they can go ridiculous on scaling and it easily loose me.  It is the humanity of the team, the smaller scale, where things get interesting.  The trailer shows Ben Grimm's depression at what he's become.  What I really liked in the comics was his relationship with the blind artist Alicia Masters, and how Alicia's acceptance of him helped him to cope.  Might the demonstrated angst in the trailer be a foretelling of things to come?  Any hint (leaks, footage, press releases, etc.) that we might be getting Alicia and the relationship?

[Glacier Peak]

8 hours ago, ZacKing said:

Forgot to log into your GM account before posting this. 🤣