Marvel Knows Fantastic Four's Hardest Problem Is More Than Perfect Casting

The changes made to Kamala Kahn’s powers in the upcoming Ms. Marvel series demonstrate that Marvel knows the biggest challenge with their version of the Fantastic Four is more than just perfect casting. Ms. Marvel is set to release on June 8th, 2022, and it will provide an origin story for Kahn – a young girl from New Jersey with a Captain Marvel obsession who gains superpowers after finding a mysterious bracelet. Marvel observers were quick to point out that the Disney+ series appears to have retconned Ms. Marvel’s powers in the comics, marking one of the largest disparities between comic and MCU heroes in the franchise’s history to date.

Looking ahead for the MCU, the studio has announced that Phase 4 will end on a Fantastic Four movie, with Spider-Man: No Way Home director Jon Watts set to direct. This film will mark the first appearance of Reed Richards, Sue and Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm in the MCU. These heroes have of course been the subjects of big-screen adaptations in the past - first in 2005’s Fantastic Four and 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and then again in 2015’s Fantastic Four reboot - but each has stumbled over a fundamental problem with how to translate the heroes’ comic book powers to the big screen.

This is particularly the case with the group’s leader, Reed Richards, whose stretching abilities have a lot in common with the original powers held by Ms. Marvel. The MCU changing Kahn’s powers suggests that the studio understands the issues with presenting elasticity onscreen, but a similar retcon is not an option for Mr. Fantastic. While there has been rife speculation regarding who the MCU will cast in the upcoming Fantastic Four debut, its issue with Richards’ powers needs to be solved first.

Ms. Marvel's Powers Reaction & Changes Confirms A Fantastic Four Problem

In the comics, Ms. Marvel has similar powers to Mr. Fantastic, but she uses them in different ways, utilizing her elastic abilities to grow, shrink, and stretch around enemies. One of her signature moves is enlarging her fists to deal out blows with increased damage and changing her size to move through the air at astonishing speed.

Yet the Ms. Marvel trailer shows that the MCU’s Kamala Kahn will have a different set of powers altogether and mark some big changes from the comic book Ms. Marvel. Whereas in the comics, the hero gains her powers via her links to The Inhumans and being exposed to the Terrigen Mist, the Disney+ series will see Kahn reliant on a mysterious bracelet as the source of her powers. These powers seem to rely on cosmic energy rather than the character’s original elasticity, and while there are certain nods in the trailer to the hero’s trademark enlarged fists, this has done little to hide the notable differences in the hero’s presentation from the off.

Substituting the character’s abilities to stretch and grow with something seemingly far closer to Captain Marvel’s cosmic energy channeling, Ms. Marvel exposes a problem that the MCU’s Fantastic Four will have to overcome. It is one thing to change the powers of a new hero in her origin story – relying on audiences’ lack of knowledge of Ms. Marvel’s comic book origins – but the studio cannot apply the same method to Mr. Fantastic. As one of the most popular Marvel heroes and with two previous cinematic adaptations, the MCU needs to find a way to make Reed Richards stretch.

Why Mr. Fantastic's Powers Have Never Worked On Screen

Reed Richards in his Fantastic Four suit

Due to the constraints of CGI, Mr. Fantastic’s powers have been notably difficult to translate to screen. Unlike Spider-Man, who wears a mask and can therefore be easily recreated by a computer without running the risk of the character looking jarring, Mr. Fantastic is almost defined by his very human appearance - a problem 2005’s Fantastic Four movie saw firsthand. At the time, CGI technology was not advanced enough to convincingly recreate the hero’s powers, and the effectiveness of Mr. Fantastic’s actions suffered because of it.

Fantastic Four's Perfect Casting Won't Matter If Powers Look Bad

Ever since Marvel Studios announced plans to reboot Fantastic Four, speculation has been rife regarding who would be the best actors to take on these iconic roles. The perfect casting for the Thing and the Human Torch promotes some fun discussion, but not as much as the rumors for the group’s central couple. One of the most popular theories casts real-life husband and wife John Krasinski and Emily Blunt as Reed Richards and Sue Storm, though the actors have long denied their involvement with the project.

Regardless of which actor takes on the mantle of Mr. Fantastic, the studio’s biggest concern must remain the practicalities of representing his powers on screen. Even a perfect cast would be overshadowed if the upcoming MCU movie cannot convincingly render the heroes’ powers, but this is not to suggest that all hope is lost. CGI capabilities have made drastic improvements since Mr. Fantastic’s last big-screen outing, and with a release date still yet to be confirmed, the studio has set aside plenty of time to ensure that the film can overcome its most glaring challenge.

The extent of Marvel Studios’ changes to Ms. Marvel’s powers is yet to be seen, but the trailer teaser of the hero’s origin story demonstrates the studio’s clear concern in this regard. There is even less information on which to speculate about whether the studio will take a similar approach to Mr. Fantastic, but the character’s popularity would make a similar approach seem likely here. Casting rumors aside, whether the MCU can break Reed Richards’ cinematic trend and believably commit his powers to screen is what will ultimately define Fantastic Four’s success.

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