The Marvel movie universe is experiencing some major turbulence today! Earlier, we got to watch director hopefuls David Slade and Darren Aronofsky slug it out over X-Men Origins: Wolverine 2. Now, we're witness to a three-way battle for superhero supremacy, as James McTeigue, Joe Carnahan, and David Yates gear up for the Fantastic Four reboot.
I don't think any of us would argue that the first two Four films are cinematic masterpieces. But Marvel's onscreen presence is about to explode, and if the timing's right, we might be able to get a Fantastic Four movie that's as good as Reed and co. deserve. A lot of the final product's quality will depend on the director chosen to lead the charge. So who's right for the job?
James McTeigue's most relevant work is V for Vendetta, a standout if at times unfaithful adaptation. He's clearly got a handle on the comic book world, but it seems his expertise exists mostly outside the superhero world. The Fantastic Four are about as four-color as superhero teams get in the Marvel universe, so he might not be the best match. If he looks too hard for the seedy underbelly, we might end up missing out on the high-flying adventure typical of Four stories.
Joe Carnahan, by contrast, is the action junkie of the group. His most recent smash, The A-Team, has a delightfully high-octane feel. His stop- and slow-motion antics would be a good fit for the Four, but he might have trouble getting his head around what emotional depth exists in Marvel's legendary superhero squad. With Carnahan behind the wheel, we'll probably get a polished but still similar unsatisfying re-do of the first Four.
David Yates is a complete badass (he's behind the two most recent Harry Potter films) but again, he may not have what it takes on his own. Though he's well-versed in balancing real-life concerns with fantastic (get it?) influences and ideas, he tends toward a grittier take on the life of a hero. I feel like the Fantastic Four should be happy--like Joe Carnahan happy--to be who they are. They aren't, you know, the Hulk or whatever.
I think Marvel should just hire all three of these guys and then bring on a fourth director to round out the team. Face it--these guys are three-fourths of the Four themselves. McTeigue is the Thing--rough-and-tumble, complicated, the outcast. Then Carnahan is the freewheelin' Human Torch. Yates is Reed Richards, with all his mysteriously underused brilliance. All we need now is an Invisible Woman: somebody artistic and understated, who can bring some balance to these three disparate directors. I hereby nominate Neill Blomkamp. The guy is positively overflowing with aesthetic know-how, plus, up until District 9, he was mostly invisible. What do you guys think?
