# First Look at the Fantastic Four **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 22, 2004, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-look-at-the-fantastic-four/265434 "2004-09-22T03:05:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-look-at-the-fantastic-four/265434/41 "2004-09-24T00:27:26Z")
> [@Binarydrone](#): > > Much like I think that Ghost Rider was trying to cash in on the biker fad, I think that Silver Surfer was a marketing ploy to cash in on the surfing fad. Which doesn’t change the fact they they’re both good characters. Both Marvel and DC have had characters that got their gimmicks from current fads… GR and SS remained popular, despite bikers and surfing slipping from the public conciousness back into their own subcultures. This should tell you something about them. ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-look-at-the-fantastic-four/265434/42 "2004-09-24T00:45:36Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > Which doesn’t change the fact they they’re both good characters. Both Marvel and DC have had characters that got their gimmicks from current fads… GR and SS remained popular, despite bikers and surfing slipping from the public conciousness back into their own subcultures. This should tell you something about them. Sure, you are quite correct. It’s just that, on a personal level, I can’t quite get past it. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-look-at-the-fantastic-four/265434/43 "2004-09-24T02:14:44Z")
> [@](#): > > He looks way too human the way they’re doing him–he could disguise himself too well with a hat and an overcoat. Well, originally the Thing walked around with a hat and overcoat on when he didn’t want to be recognized, and it pretty much worked, so this isn’t that far off. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-look-at-the-fantastic-four/265434/44 "2004-09-26T06:22:22Z")
Johnny’s supposed to have flowing blonde hair. This one’s got a dark crew. Mr. Reed is supposed to have close cropped hair parted on the side (the square scientist look) with distinguishing grey. This one’s got a salon poof with obvious spray-on stage white on his temples. Thirty-one is too young to play a world-famous scientist who’s naturally greying on the temples. What’s that? Of course I’ll see it. I don’t have a combined geek/nerd membership card for nothing! ---
**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-look-at-the-fantastic-four/265434/45 "2004-09-26T07:01:45Z")
Chiklis has to be wearing a pair of those [Hulk Hands](http://www.x-entertainment.com/articles/0748/), because it looks like his wrist is cracking in half. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-look-at-the-fantastic-four/265434/46 "2004-09-26T18:31:39Z")
At least Hollywood is starting to get superhero costumes to look right live. The old spandex or body paint stuff from the old days was ridiculous. Spidey, Xmen, and now these cats looked really good. Thing looks fine. Alot like the old 60s FF I used to read. To the person who said he looked to small, I thought one of the ways people ripped on him all the time in the comics was by making fun of how short he was? ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-look-at-the-fantastic-four/265434/47 "2004-09-26T18:48:16Z")
Does anyone know if Ben Grimm is going to be getting any Alicia action? Always liked her. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-look-at-the-fantastic-four/265434/48 "2004-09-26T19:11:01Z")
John Byrne–the now-disgraced, formerly-popular comics writer and artist (whose run on _FF_ was a high-water mark for the characters in the 80s) had some [none-too-gentlemanly things](http://www.byrnerobotics.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2387&PN=1&totPosts=6) to say about Jessica Alba’s casting. Personally, I like nontraditional casting. Plus, if they’d gone for the obvious and had Rebecca Romijn play Sue, she’d be typecast forever as a Marvel actress. ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-look-at-the-fantastic-four/265434/49 "2004-09-26T20:27:26Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > John Byrne–the now-disgraced, formerly-popular comics writer and artist (whose run on _FF_ was a high-water mark for the characters in the 80s) had some [none-too-gentlemanly things](http://www.byrnerobotics.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2387&PN=1&totPosts=6) to say about Jessica Alba’s casting. Personally, I like nontraditional casting. Plus, if they’d gone for the obvious and had Rebecca Romijn play Sue, she’d be typecast forever as a Marvel actress. A photo of Alba as Sue turns into a racist flameware instigated by a famous comic book author? What is _wrong_ with people? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-look-at-the-fantastic-four/265434/50 "2004-09-26T21:08:03Z")
> [@pizzabrat](#): > > A photo of Alba as Sue turns into a racist flameware instigated by a famous comic book author? What is _wrong_ with people? That was a bit much. Fine if you don’t like her a choice, but sheez. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-look-at-the-fantastic-four/265434/51 "2004-09-26T22:30:10Z")
Cut Byrne a little slack – remember, he’s a known :wally ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-look-at-the-fantastic-four/265434/52 "2004-09-26T23:15:57Z")
:eek: _What_ a dickhead! I know a number of naturally blonde Hispanics. And they look _nothing_ like a hooker (and since when do all hookers look alike? Perhaps Byrne should get more variety when choosing hookers.) Sheesh. Hell, what about one of my co-workers who’s a _guy_ who’s a blonde hispanic? Check out a later post by him: > [@](#): > > Isn’t this the point at which someone should say that casting a Black actor as Alicia is “interesting” and we should not pass judgement until we see the performance, because “the performance is what > matters”? > > You know, the usual PC bullshit. Um…dood? Alicia was raised in a completely sheltered environment by Phillip Masters, her evil, supervillian step-dad who would have had anyone who was unkind to her quickly killed. Given that she was _completely_ sheltered from racisim from about say, age 8 on, and given that her character can be summed up as “Dull, kinda icky-sweet and slightly whiney”, there’s no reason that she couldn’t be played by a black woman just as well as a white one. Um…unless you’re worried about losing sales to the “Hey, don’t get me wrong…I’m not racist! Some of my best friends are blonde, hispanic women who look like hookers” crowd. :rolleyes: Luckily, they’re a small demographic. ---
**Author:** ![Optihut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/edb3f5/32.png) [@Optihut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Optihut)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-look-at-the-fantastic-four/265434/53 "2004-09-27T08:22:57Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > there’s no reason that she couldn’t be played by a black woman just as well as a white one. I disagree. Non-established characters can be played by anyone, but if the character has already been introduced, I think it would make sense to somewhat cast on physical resemblence. Example: Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu is just fine, but since the character was introduced with Episode I, any other actor - white, black, asian, whatever - would have worked as well. On the other hand, it’d be weird to see something like: Coming up, Iron Man, starring Denzel Washington as Tony Stark and Tom Cruise as James Rhodes. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-look-at-the-fantastic-four/265434/54 "2004-09-27T13:58:12Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > John Byrne–the now-disgraced, formerly-popular comics writer and artist Can you give me the 10-cent skinny on this? Did Byrne say or do something to put himself in the doghouse, or did people finally start noticing how lame his writing was? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-look-at-the-fantastic-four/265434.md?page=2)