We’ve written extensively about the upcoming Fantastic Four and the uphill battle versus negative publicity that the production and director Josh Trank has faced in recent months. But trailers for the film have seemed to quiet fears and apprehensions a bit, as an impressive cast and impressive special effects eased some concerns about the very different angle Trank was taking on the iconic Marvel Comics characters.
Yet whether it was because we’ve already seen trailers and ads for Fantastic Four and are simply waiting for the film to hit theaters on Aug. 7, or because trailers for blockbusters like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad gobbled up the spotlight and fan fervor, Fox’s reboot of the superpowered foursome was totally overshadowed at Comic-Con this past weekend.
Hey, the FF had a new trailer to show everyone too! So here it is, almost sneaking in under the cultural radar:
One thing that’s been interesting about the trailers released for Fantastic Four is the differences in tone and focus between them. The first preview was very dark and gloomy, trying very hard to show it wasn’t what we’re now familiar with as the typical superhero film, emphasizing hard sci-fi and body horror elements.
But since then, the marketing has tried to play up the more heroic and, well, fantastical properties of the story and these characters. And this latest trailer emphasizes Reed Richards, boy genius, perhaps in an attempt to reach out to a younger audience and show them that this movie has something they can relate to. Playing up the prolific inventiveness and tinkering of the character is certainly true in spirit to his comic book roots.
Finally, we also get more of a look at Doctor Doom — or whatever he’ll be called in this film — the villain of the piece. Whatever happens to him in that other dimension (besides disfiguring him) seemingly makes him more powerful than our four heroes, at least individually.
As mentioned, Fantastic Four will be released on Aug. 7.
