Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine Fantastic Four: The Movie

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LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Chris Evans ("The Perfect Score") and Ioan Gruffudd (news) ("King Arthur") are feeling fantastic.

The duo will star in 20th Century Fox's adaptation of the Marvel comic "Fantastic Four" for "Barbershop" director Tim Story. Evans and Gruffudd are the latest additions confirmed to be suiting up for the potential franchise following the first announced cast member, Michael Chiklis.

"Fantastic Four" follows the adventure-seeking quartet of scientist Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic; his love interest, Susan Storm/the Invisible Girl; her brother, Johnny/the Human Torch; and Reed's best friend, Benjamin Grimm/the Thing. The four develop superpowers when the spaceship they're on is exposed to cosmic radiation.

Evans will play Johnny, who can burst his body into flames, with Gruffudd as genius Richards, who develops the ability to stretch his body. Chiklis is set for Grimm, whose flesh turns into rock. That leaves the Invisible Girl as the remaining slot on the cast. Sources indicated that the filmmakers have zeroed in on several actresses for that part, including Jessica Alba (news) ("Honey") and Rachel McAdams ("The Notebook").

Chris Evans (photo from 'Not Another Teen Movie'):

Ioan Gruffudd

Michael Chiklis (pic from The Shield):



1 out of 3 so far (IMO). And they still have yet to cast Sue. The casting decisions were supposed to have been made and announced last week. To me, this movie already seems to be getting started off on the wrong foot. Add the director and its a disaster waiting to happen. Marvel's version of Catwoman.

I guess they can't all be X-Men or Spider-Man movies.

I'm still excited for this movie...even though I've had the same uneasy feeling it's heading for trouble the past year as it's been rewritten and pushed back numerous times. Seeing that they've finally begun casting and have kept the 2005 date is starting to alleviate some worry.

I don't know about the choices, though I am so far pleased. They all have the 'look' of the characters, so I'm sure once they're in full costume or make-up the characters will really come alive. The more I look at the three above pictures, the more I can really see Ben, Johnny, and Reed. That's probably the intent of them being cast...but the real challenge will be seeing if they can pull off the personalities and really 'feel' like I'm watching a family when they work together.

There are two other casting rumors that you may not have heard about, one of which seems excellent (although I'm not sure if there is any truth to it):

First, Dr. Doom may be played by the guy who plays Lucius Malfoy. If this is the case, he will make the movie, since he plays a better bad guy IMO than any other actor right now. However, this is only rumor, and will most likelly not happen.

The other name going around for Sue is Eliza Cuthbert, the girl from "Girl Next Door" and "24"". I like her, and think that not only is she a mega-hottie, but she can also act. I wouldn't mind having her as Sue, although she may look too young.

Scott, which one out of the three do you like?

Personnally, I think the guy playing Reed is a great actor, and I'll really get an opinion on him when I see King Arthur this summer, a movie I'm really looking forward to (circa the fall of the Roman Empire, my favorite period in history). I bet he could pull off Reed very well, although he's relatively unknown among Americans.

The guy playing Ben Grimm might be able to do a good job too, although I've never watched the Shield. The kid playing Johnny has only been in movies (that I know of) where he plays a goofball/drunk high-school kid, so playing the hotheaded FFer might not be too much of a stretch for him. I'd be willing to give both of them a shot, especially the kid playing Johnny since he's never had a decent enough role to show he can act.

No one seems horribly cast yet--although some seem a bit off a la Michael Keaton as Batman, who I thought was the best actor to ever assume the Bat-mantle.

Michael Chiklis, who'll be playing Ben, is the only one I have any confidence in. The other two, eh. I've not cared for any of their film appearances, that I've seen, yet.

Chiklis, I believe, can pull of the look and personality of Ben. His height may be the only drawback as I believe he is well under 6 foot tall.

And as for Sue, from what I've read today, you can cross Eliza off the list. The latest is Jessica Alba (yes, Dark Angel) is up for the roll. According to www.aint-it-cool-news.com:

Mike Chicklets? Maybe if they're all orange...

I love the choice of Ioan. He was great as Horation Hornblower in the A&E movies. It's going to be hard to accept him in a comic book movie, but he should be able to pull off "brainy" with relative ease.

I'm not much of a FF fan in the first place, but I've got to admit that the casting choices make this an intriguing movie. At least it looks like it has more potential than Catwoman at this point.

For me, it doesn't matter much if the actor doesn't 'look' the part, since I know that make-up and stuff can easily make Michael Keaton the best Batman/Bruce Wayne. In other words, stuff like a black Catwoman, tall Wolverine and curly haired Reed Richards don't bother me at all.

What bothers me is if they cast someone that just can't act--like Arnold the Governator as Mr. Freeze. I'd much rather have a cast of actors (like in the upcoming Batman movie) than a cast of people who look the part.

I don't know much about Chiklis other than he was once the Commish and totally changed his look, but I'm glad you have faith in him Scott, since IMO the role of the Thing should be the most important to the movie.

I know the guy playing Reed can act, so I'm satisfied, although I have reservations about the kid playing the Torch.

Jessica Alba as Sue might work for me, since I really can't thing of an actress who fits the part perfectly. Does anyone have an actress in mind who would?

The first name that came to my mind for the part of Sue was.... Kristy Swanson. Nicole Kidman would make a great Sue too.

Britney Spears may be looking for a new movie role...

Cobie, Chiklis is a real bad@$$ on FX's "The Shield". From what I've caught of that show, he's got the goods to pull of a good, gritty Ben.

Maybe "The Thing" will be CGI a la the Hulk, so his physical attributes wouldn't matter, Scott?

Off-topic, but I kinda want to see Sharon Stone as teh White Queen in an eventual X-movie...

If you're casting the White Queen as an over-the-hill washed up has-been hag, then yeah sure...

He also has range, given he also put in a good showing as Curley in the 3 Stooges TV movie

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I figure that, if they can make Rhyes-Davis three feet tall, they can make Chiklis seven.

Of course, my biggest trpidation is the director.

That and the fact that they appear to want to use the Ultimate FF version of the team as the basis for the movie. Not a good call, IMHO.

I gotta believe they're gonna CG the crap outa him to make him The Thing a la Gollum. Chiklis being the basis for the creation so he'll be able to contribute a real performance, but I can't imagine them using any kind of makeup or prosthetics to make a believable (or impressive) Thing.

Funny, at the Dazzler thread, I said how I would prefer to see actors who look right in the part over those who don't. I think I should elaborate.... I really do think that actors who look the part should be the first choice, but I do wish that the dialogue was good and that the acting is well done. I guess I want the best of both. As a reference point, I think the X-Men movies are the best cast superhero movies, ever.

I agree about the X-Men casting -- they've got a pretty good batting average, though I wish the actors they got for Jean and Scott had more chemistry -- I don't see it.

Whether or not the actor has the facial characteristics isn't so important to me as long as their physicality still conveys what is necessary for the character (and though he was good, I still don't think Keaton had the physicality of Batman, the supposed peak of human conditioning). For instance if they make "Iron Man" I don't care if they give Tony Stark a mustache - it's more important to me that he look like a man I could buy as a scientific genius. Still, how hard would it have been for Val Kilmer and Jennifer Garner to have their hair blackened?

Dark Angel will be Sue! From www.hollywoodreporter.com:

I'm not sure how to respond to this as I have never seen Jessica Alba with blond hair. I know they're going to have Sue Richards with blond hair, right?

There's just something hinky about this, like Famke playing Jean Grey, she just didn't seem right for the part, but she brought a "name" to the cast.

This ain't like the Kingpin role in Daredevil either, where they couldn't find a white guy with the stature needed and the acting ability, so they went with Michael Duncan. I can accept that. I know they could have found a blonde actress with the range to play Sue. It's just hinky. Maybe she's just not "pasty" enough.

Check out "Never Been Kissed" if you really wanna know.

Okay, this is part of the article from www.aint-it-cool-news.com that also had the reveal about Alba being Sue.

Now I like Ray Liotta. Heck, I like most wise-guy actors, just my genre I guess. But as Doc Doom? I don't see it.