Yes, it has been over 10 months since the latest version of ‘Fantastic Four‘ hit theaters and bombed, but it seems the cast and crew cannot help but still give comments about the momentous flop to the media, in which case, there is no reason not to continue relaying the latest news of what exactly went wrong with the blockbuster.
It seems that in a recent interview with the Daily Beast, the man who played Dr. Doom in the reboot, Toby Kebbell, had some interesting things to say about the film and Josh Trank’s vision, hinting that it was studio interference that ruined the final product:
“I tell you, the honest truth is [Trank] did cut a great film that you’ll never see. That is a shame. A much darker version, and you’ll never see it.”
It is interesting that he mentions a much darker version of the film, as it has long been speculated that the studio did not like the dark tone, which is potentially why they started interfering in the first place and demanding reshoots from Trank. Kebbell goes on to talk about the disappointment in his own character, as he barely got to play the eponymous villain from the comics, as the production ended up just using stunt men and body doubles for many of the scenes after Doom put on his mask.
“Unfortunately. I played Doom in three points: Walking down a corridor, killing the doctor and getting into the time machine, and lying on the bench. They were the only times I played Doom. Everything else was some other guy, on some other day… doing some other thing. I was infuriated that he was allowed to limp like that! …I missed the press tour for Planet of the Apes because I was lying under rubble, slowly rising out of the ashes to be Doctor Doom. Never made it to the film! There are always frustrations with these tent poles. But it generally comes from the script changing, sadly enough. But I’m very proud of my work. I’m also just as heartbroken as the fans are.”
Is there a chance that 20th Century Fox would ever release Trank’s original vision for the film? Could decades past before someone sympathetic to the director lets him finally have his way with his ‘Fantastic Four’ cut? Do you think they underutilized Doom in the film (as I did) and ended up turning him into a bit of a lame-duck villain by the end of the movie? Share your opinions on the matter in the comments below!
