Fantastic Four (2015 Film)

***Fantastic Four*** (stylized as ***Fant4stic***) is a 2015 superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. It is the third theatrical*Fantastic Four* film to be distributed by 20th Century Fox, and a reboot of the *Fantastic Four* film franchise. Directed by Josh Trank, with a screenplay byJeremy Slater, Simon Kinberg and Trank, the film stars Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, Toby Kebbell, Reg E. Cathey, and Tim Blake Nelson. In *Fantastic Four*, the team must learn to harness abilities gained from an alternate universe to save Earth from a friend turned enemy.

Development of the film begin in 2009, with principal photography going from May 2014 to August 2014. *Fantastic Four* was primarily shot in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Studio executives, concerned with Trank's footage, mandated reshoots, which took place in January 2015. *Fantastic Four* premiered in New York on August 4, 2015, and was released in the United States on August 7 the same year. The film received a mostly negative reception from critics and audiences. At the box-office, it underperformed, earning $26.2 million in North America during its opening weekend. A sequel is scheduled for release on July 9, 2017.

## Plot

Friends Reed Richards (Miles Teller) and Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell) have worked together on a prototype teleporter since childhood, eventually attracting the attention of Professor Franklin Storm (Reg E. Cathey), director of the Baxter Foundation, a government-sponsored research institute for young prodigies. Reed is recruited to join them and aid Storm's children, scientist Sue Storm (Kate Mara) and the somewhat reckless technician Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan), into completing a "Quantum Gate" designed by Storm's wayward protégé, Victor von Doom (Toby Kebbell), who begrudgingly agrees to help due to his unrequited feelings for Sue.

The experiment is successful, and the facility's supervisor, Dr. Allen (Tim Blake Nelson), plans to send a group from NASA to venture into a parallel dimension known as "Planet Zero". Disappointed at being denied the chance to join the expedition, Reed, Johnny, and Victor along with Ben use the Quantum Gate to embark on an unsanctioned voyage to Planet Zero, which they learn is a world filled with otherworldly substances. Victor attempts to touch the green-lava like substance, causing the surface they are in to collapse and the ground to erupt. Reed, Johnny, and Ben return to their shuttle just as Sue brings them back to Earth. Victor is left behind after he falls into the collapsing landscape. The machine explodes, altering Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben on a molecular-genetic level, affording them super-human conditions and abilities beyond their control: Reed can stretch like rubber, Sue can become invisible and generate force fields of energy, Johnny can engulf his entire body in flames and fly, and Ben becomes bigger and develops a rock-like hide which gives him enhanced strength and durability. They are then placed in government custody and confinement to be studied and have their conditions and abilities tested. Blaming himself for the accident, Reed escapes from the facility.

One year later, Reed, now a fugitive, is located in Central America by Sue and captured by Ben, who has become a military asset along with Johnny and Sue. Johnny and Sue have been outfitted with specialized suits, one of which Reed later receives, designed to keep up with their conditions and abilities and to help them stabilize, control, and contain their abilities. Reed is brought to Area 57, where Dr. Allen conscripts him to open another portal to Planet Zero in exchange for giving Reed the necessary resources to find a cure. Arriving in Planet Zero, Dr. Allen's explorers find Victor, who has been fused to his spacesuit and can now control the elements, as well as having telekinetic abilities, and bring him back to Earth. Believing the human race needs to be destroyed so he can rebuild Planet Zero in his image, Victor kills scientists and soldiers in the base including Dr. Allen and Professor Storm and returns to Planet Zero using the Quantum Gate, with Ben, Johnny, Reed, and Sue in pursuit.

Now dubbing himself "Doom", he activates a portal on Planet Zero using a structure he made while in the realm, that begins consuming the landscape of the Earth. He is confronted by the four and, after a destructive battle, Ben punches Doom into the portal's energy beam, disintegrating him, while Johnny closes the portal. Returning to Earth, the group is rewarded for their heroics by being given a new base of operations by the United States military. They decide to use their powers to help people and adopt the mantle of the "Fantastic Four".

## Cast

* Miles Teller as Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic:

Richards has been exploring the universe in his garage after school. After being transformed by one of his experiments, he gains the ability to stretch his body into different forms and lengths.[4] Teller said of the role, "When I read the script, I didn't feel like I was reading this larger-than-life, incredible superhero tale. These are all very human people that end up having to become, I guess, what is known as the Fantastic Four. So for me it was just a really good story and gives me an opportunity to play something different from my own skin."[5] Owen Judge portrays Reed as a child.
* Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm / The Human Torch:

A troublemaker, thrill-seeker and the younger brother of Susan Storm, he has the ability to shoot fireballs and fly.[6] Jordan said of the cast, "We're more or less a bunch of kids that had an accident and we have disabilities now that we have to cope with, and try to find a life afterwards – try to be as normal as we can."[7] Jordan previously worked with Trank on 2012's *Chronicle*, and according to Trank, Jordan's character in *Chronicle* shares characteristics with Johnny Storm.[8] Trank has described Storm as "smart, hilarious and charismatic."[9]
* Kate Mara as Susan "Sue" Storm / The Invisible Woman:

Brilliant, independent and sarcastic, Storm has the ability to become invisible and generate force-fields.[10] Mara said that she was supposed to read the *Fantastic Four* comic books for preparation. However, director Josh Trank suggested to her that it was unnecessary, with writer Simon Kinberg adding that the film is not based on a single issue of the comic books.[11] Mara has also said that she intended to focus on making her character "as real as possible".[12] Trank has described Storm as "smart, dignified and [with] integrity."[13]
* Jamie Bell as Ben Grimm / The Thing:

Warm, sensitive, a loyal and protective friend, Grimm's stone body gives him super-strength and makes him "indestructible".[14] Trank said Grimm grew up an alienated child in a "tough" neighborhood.[8] Trank also said that Bell has "qualities" of warmth and strength which people would want to see from Grimm.[13] Bell has said that Grimm is the "heart of the group [Fantastic Four]".[15]In preparation for the motion-capture performance, Bell approached actor Andy Serkis for advice.[16] During filming, he wore a tracking suit and stilts to match the height and eye-line of The Thing.[17]Evan Hannemann portrays Grimm as a child.
* Toby Kebbell as Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom:

A computer technician and computer scientist who is mentored by Dr. Franklin Storm. Doom finds a new father of sorts in Storm. Angry, vengeful, and bright,[18] Doom was changed in the Negative Zone, as were the other characters. Kebbell said that he concentrated the most on the voice of the character, adding, "on the animated series, they never got his voice what I imagined it to be when I read the comics as a little boy. What I spent the majority of my time doing was not just being a fan, but being a bit of pedant and making sure I got exactly what I always wanted to see."[19] Kinberg said that Doom is as central to the film as the "titular" heroes. He added that Doom has "aspirations and struggles that are a little bit more classically tragic than the other characters" and that the film would show how he becomes a villain.[20] Dr. Doom's full name in this film was originally going to be "Victor Domashev", but after backlash by fans, it was changed back to "Victor von Doom" during reshoots, to match his name in the Marvel Comics universe.[21]
* Reg E. Cathey as Dr. Franklin Storm:

The biological father of Johnny and adoptive father to Sue.[18] Cathey described Franklin as a "brilliant scientist who has achieved much more than he thought he would" and that Franklin's main drive in life is to help "brilliant" kids who may have been dropped through the cracks or who were misunderstood.[22]
* Tim Blake Nelson as Dr. Harvey Allen:

A scientist who works for the government, and takes part in training the members of the team to hone their abilities. Nelson said that Allen is "responsible for what the creative people do that he has to ring them in and discipline them."[23]
Additionally, Dan Castellaneta portrays Mr. Kenny, Reed's teacher and Tim Heidecker appears as Mr. Richards, Reed's stepfather.[24]