Fantastic Four reboot-- Casting, Rumors, Pix, ect;

[The Old Mixer]

As this endless debate doesn't seem to be going away, I'll put in my two cents. I have no problem with casting black actors as FF members, but casting a black man as Johnny while casting a blonde-haired white woman as Sue strikes me as the filmmakers wanting to have their cake and eat it too. If they had balls, they would have cast a black or biracial woman as Sue.

 

[The Lensman]

I can't speak for the production team and their decision process but to me it smells off providing a racially different character so they can appeal to more people at the movies equalling a bigger take.

Making money was the ENTIRE point of making the movie in the first place and the customer is always right. Now understand where that phrase "the customer is always right" comes from. It comes from a business understanding that if a customer comes in and is asking for X, then you could make more money by offering X. If you're not in business to make a profit (more money) then you're doing it wrong. It's why business' say "Happy Holidays". Not because of any PC bullshit, but to increase revenue and make more money. Strangely, it's always the people who claim to be more Capitalist-than-thou that have a problem with a business trying to increase their profits by appealing to larger groups of people.

^ Except they're not really Nordic Gods, they're aliens.

When I read Thor they were actual gods not aliens. When Thor first meets the Eternals (circa the late 70's), one of them specifically identifies him as a mythological being. As you know the Eternals aren't primitives who would make that mistake. When did this retcon happen?

If you're going to change the concept, why not just create something new? The Incredible Hulk TV show was really very good, but it wasn't the Hulk-- they should have created a new character. Why have a character named Ichabod Crane who isn't Ichabod Crane and give no reference to the Washington Irving story (and I'm saying that about my current favorite show)?

Because this is the very definition of "timeless characters"? That they can be updated for the times and their stories told in a variety of ways?

LOL.

"Unlike these damn kids today, I'm from the generation where we don't make superficial judgments of entire groups of people."

Exactly.

 

[Captaindemotion]

^ Re the Thor/Norse gods issue, they changed it for the movie. I'm not sure if they've changed it in the comics. They were gods when I read them too but IIRC, it was felt that introducing gods would be a bit at odds with what the MCU had established so far.

Of course, Marvel gets a by-ball when it introduces changes like this but if Fox makes such changes, purists are up in arms.

 

[Nerys Myk]

^ Except they're not really Nordic Gods, they're aliens.

When I read Thor they were actual gods not aliens. When Thor first meets the Eternals (circa the late 70's), one of them specifically identifies him as a mythological being. As you know the Eternals aren't primitives who would make that mistake. When did this retcon happen?

It's a movie thing. Though in Ted White's Captain America novel, the Great Gold Steal, published in 1968, he used the same idea.

 

[Kemaiku]

In the MCU there are just aliens, they grow old and die. Takes 5000 years but they do.

 

[Captaindemotion]

Hmmm...so here's some information about Reed's powers. Might be considered slightly spoilerish: http://www.cinemablend.com/new/How-Fantastic-Four-Reboot-Change-Mr-Fantastic-Powers-71094.html

 

[The Lensman]

^ Re the Thor/Norse gods issue, they changed it for the movie. I'm not sure if they've changed it in the comics. They were gods when I read them too but IIRC, it was felt that introducing gods would be a bit at odds with what the MCU had established so far.

Of course, Marvel gets a by-ball when it introduces changes like this but if Fox makes such changes, purists are up in arms.

It's a movie thing. Though in Ted White's Captain America novel, the Great Gold Steal, published in 1968, he used the same idea.

In the MCU there are just aliens, they grow old and die. Takes 5000 years but they do.

Cool, thanks for the replies!

Hmmm...so here's some information about Reed's powers. Might be considered slightly spoilerish: http://www.cinemablend.com/new/How-Fantastic-Four-Reboot-Change-Mr-Fantastic-Powers-71094.html

Trying to work my brain around that one. Not a deal breaker for me, but a little to "technobabble / midichlorian" IMO. Just say the guy stretches, we did come to see a superhero movie after all.

 

[theenglish]

Hmmm...so here's some information about Reed's powers. Might be considered slightly spoilerish: http://www.cinemablend.com/new/How-Fantastic-Four-Reboot-Change-Mr-Fantastic-Powers-71094.html

So, it doesn't sound like his powers actually change, just the explanation. Sounds like this will be significant to the actual plot.

 

[sidious618]

I had no idea Michael B. Jordon was in this. Or if I did, I'd somehow forgotten. Jordan is a great actor and his turn on The Wire was simply heartbreaking.

 

[theenglish]

I had no idea Michael B. Jordon was in this. Or if I did, I'd somehow forgotten. Jordan is a great actor and his turn on The Wire was simply heartbreaking.

Nobody can blame you. Unless you were actively looking for it there hasn't been a lot of publicity until just recently. I agree with you about Jordan's performance The Wire.

 

[Trekker4747]

As this endless debate doesn't seem to be going away, I'll put in my two cents. I have no problem with casting black actors as FF members, but casting a black man as Johnny while casting a blonde-haired white woman as Sue strikes me as the filmmakers wanting to have their cake and eat it too. If they had balls, they would have cast a black or [questionable word choice] woman as Sue.

Ummmm...... what?

 

[urbandefault]

If you genuinely didn't "give a flying crap" about this "non-issue" it would never be a topic of conversation. I don't know who it is you think you're kidding.

There is a certain cohort that professes to believe in "color-blindness" just like good old Doctor King said it until they actually have to be confronted with the fact that real "color-blindness" involves black people getting jobs that used to automatically go to white people. Then, for reasons which I'm sure are completely mysterious, "color-blindness" goes out the window and suddenly the world is ending and civilization is crumbling and the members of this cohort are moaning about being victims of a "new racism." This behaviour is not, despite what those indulging in its seem to think, all that difficult to read.

Oh, please. You don't know me, or anything about me. The condescending attitude and the lectures are, quite frankly, a big giant yawn.

 

[The Old Mixer]

As this endless debate doesn't seem to be going away, I'll put in my two cents. I have no problem with casting black actors as FF members, but casting a black man as Johnny while casting a blonde-haired white woman as Sue strikes me as the filmmakers wanting to have their cake and eat it too. If they had balls, they would have cast a black or [questionable word choice] woman as Sue.

Ummmm...... what?

Post edited to say "biracial"...hadn't looked up the other term to see if it was PC.

 

[Trekkin]

^ Re the Thor/Norse gods issue, they changed it for the movie. I'm not sure if they've changed it in the comics. They were gods when I read them too but IIRC, it was felt that introducing gods would be a bit at odds with what the MCU had established so far.

Of course, Marvel gets a by-ball when it introduces changes like this but if Fox makes such changes, purists are up in arms.

It's a movie thing. Though in Ted White's Captain America novel, the Great Gold Steal, published in 1968, he used the same idea.

In the MCU there are just aliens, they grow old and die. Takes 5000 years but they do.

Cool, thanks for the replies!

Hmmm...so here's some information about Reed's powers. Might be considered slightly spoilerish: http://www.cinemablend.com/new/How-Fantastic-Four-Reboot-Change-Mr-Fantastic-Powers-71094.html

Trying to work my brain around that one. Not a deal breaker for me, but a little to "technobabble / midichlorian" IMO. Just say the guy stretches, we did come to see a superhero movie after all.

The last I remember the issue being brought up, the comics have taken a maybe/maybe not stance. In Heaven and Hell, Thor admits he doesn't see himself as a deity. The Asgardians also have their own creators and pantheon that overlooked their lives, it's just Odin was the only one who knew about it.

It's not a rule of anything though. The Greek pantheon always seemed to be treated as legit Gods. No doubt Marvel will keep giving different answers and dodges for the rest of time.

As for Fantastic Four...I don't care about the casting. The only thing that kind-of gave me a pause was knowing that Johnny and the really Aryan-looking Sue were meant to be siblings, but the half/step siblings explanation more than suspends my disbelief there. So long as the characters well-written, well-acted, and not replaced by an annoying talking robot, it's on the level with me.

I personally wanted Miles to be the Spider-man for the Marvel films, but it doesn't look like that's happening. I like Miles character, and I'm getting mighty sick of watching Peter Parkers origin story.

 

[BigJake]

Oh, please. You don't know me, or anything about me.

Nothing except what you choose to put up here, that is, which is shall we say revealing of certain attitudes. If you don't care for the criticism you might want to refrain from banging on about a supposed color-blindness that the pattern of your commentary contradicts. Nobody's holding a gun to your head and forcing you to post this bilge (to which I'll continue to react as I see fit with or without your approval, thanks).

 

[Nerys Myk]

As this endless debate doesn't seem to be going away, I'll put in my two cents. I have no problem with casting black actors as FF members, but casting a black man as Johnny while casting a blonde-haired white woman as Sue strikes me as the filmmakers wanting to have their cake and eat it too. If they had balls, they would have cast a black or [questionable word choice] woman as Sue.

Ummmm...... what?

Post edited to say "biracial"...hadn't looked up the other term to see if it was PC.

I don't know about PC, but I think it was already sounding old fashion when your parents or possibly grandparents were young. Then again, maybe you're in your seventies, eighties or nineties. You are the Old Mixer after all.

 

[urbandefault]

Oh, please. You don't know me, or anything about me.

Nothing except what you choose to put up here, that is, which is shall we say revealing of certain attitudes. If you don't care for the criticism you might want to refrain from banging on about a supposed color-blindness that the pattern of your commentary contradicts. Nobody's holding a gun to your head and forcing you to post this bilge (to which I'll continue to react as I see fit with or without your approval, thanks).

Ok, nice talking to ya. Buhbye now.

 

[BigJake]

Spoken like a gentleman, sir.

 

[Mudd]

I think that if you back up to the beginnings of this exchange, the two of you have your wires slightly crossed.

 

[theenglish]

I actually thought BigJake was agreeing with urbandefault in his original post.

If it clears matters up, urbandefault wrote "the non-issue" in reference to a term that others had been using, not he.