Despite all the controversy surrounding Josh Trank’s upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, we still know virtually nothing about the film. Outside of its cast and release date, much of the movie – including how it differs from the awful Tim Story films from the early 2000s – remains a mystery.
Thanks to Schmoes Know, that may very well have changed. The site released a scoop today regarding a few key plot details for the film, including the familial relationship between Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan) and Sue Storm (Kate Mara) and how the titular super family got their “fantastic” powers in the first place.
Many fans took issue with Jordan’s casting as Johnny Storm because of how it might change the relationship with his sister Sue. When House of Cards actor Reg E. Cathey was cast as their father back in May, we assumed that either Sue would be the adopted sibling or that perhaps their family would be bi-racial. According to the site, Sue is in fact adopted and both of Johnny’s parents are African American. It’s a minor detail, but still one that might help some of those who were confused about the change from the source material.
Another way the reboot will differ from both the past films and the comics is how the Fantastic Four gain their abilities. Previously, the characters were exposed to cosmic rays while on an outer space mission. The new origins, however, will reportedly take inspiration from the “Ultimates” version of the characters, who get their abilities from a malfunctioning teleporter. Here’s what Schmoes Know learned about the way the Fantastic Four will gain their abilities this time around:
“In the film, the team will gain their powers through a lab experiment gone wrong in a way, where they create a portal to another world or dimension (its not clear) and they get their powers after the exposure to this other dimension/planet. Much like how the group gets their powers in the Ultimate Fantastic Four comics, after they are engulfed in a failed teleporter experiment.”
Tell us, what do you think of these updates? Are you happy to hear that Josh Trank and screenwriter Simon Kinberg are taking inspiration from the Ultimates version of the comics? Sound off in the comments below.
The Fantastic Four will hit theaters on August 7th, 2015.