Above, a scene from “Fantastic Four.” (Photo credit: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation)

By Valcy Etienne
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Ten things to know about the “Fantastic Four” franchise:

1. It debuted in the 1960s to help usher in a new level of realism in the medium, and the “Fantastic Four” was markedly different from other comic books at the time as the characters did not hide their superhero identities and frequently argued with one another. Likewise, this new reboot will be a “more realistic, a more gritty, grounded” version of the story, according to writer Simon Kinberg.

2. Marvel announced in October 2014 at New York Comic Con that the “Fantastic Four” book had been canceled as part of an ongoing feud with 20th Century Fox over the franchise’s film rights. Many attribute the poor sales that contributed to the decision to cancel the book to a lack of diversity and stagnant plot lines that haven’t “changed with the times.”

3. Given this principal criticism, it may come somewhat of a surprise that the decision to cast African-American actor Michael B. Jordan as the Human Torch garnered much controversy as the original “Fantastic Four” Johnny Storm had blond hair and blue eyes. In response, Jordan wrote an editorial in Entertainment Weekly in May stating that the disapproval “used to bother (him), but doesn’t anymore” and emphasized that the “Fantastic Four” “is a family movie about four friends.” Likewise, co-creator of the “Fantastic Four” Stan Lee has said that he thought that the casting change was a “great idea” and believes that fans are outraged “not because of any personal prejudice,” but rather because “they hate to see any change made on a series and characters they had gotten familiar with.”

4. Although Jordan was the first star cast in the movie, actor Miles Teller seemed to have the most harrowing auditioning process. When asked about the process, he joked that he “showed ‘em my abilities to stretch and shape shift, (and that) they were very impressed by that.” Although he was the only one tested for the role of Reed Richards, Teller admitted in a recent interview to MTV News that Josh Trank had to convince the film’s producers that he was perfect for the role and Trank was very specific about who he wanted to play his characters.

5. Among the many changes in this adaptation is the antagonist, Doctor Doom. In the original comic book series, Doctor Doom is a mad scientist whose real name is Victor Von Doom. In the movies, Doctor Doom is Victor Domashev (played by Toby Kebell), a computer programmer and blogger.

6. Surprisingly, the new cast was asked not to read the comic books in preparation for their roles. Teller told MTV news that the directive was used “because we were looking to kind of put our stamp on it.” Hopefully they won’t spurn longtime comic book fans in their quest to be different?

7. The decision to cast the 5-foot-7, 121-pound Jamie Bell as the colossal character known as Thing came as a surprise to many. Without a doubt, this decision all but ensures that this version of the “Fantastic Four” will be the first to feature a motion-capture version of this rock-bound monster.

8. There have been four animated incarnations of the comic book series — one in each decade since the 1960s, not including the 2010s and 1980s. Perhaps if the film is successful, a cartoon studio will commission a reimagining of the series to round out this decade?

9. While a sequel is already in development for summer 2017, some don’t realize that 20th Century Fox also holds the film rights for the “X-Men” franchise as well — which leaves open the possibility that a crossover film between the two franchises could be created if “Fantastic Four” does fantastically well at the box office.

10. In the comic books, the Fantastic Four received their powers from cosmic rays during a space mission. In the reboot, the team reaches “superpower status” after a botched science experiment opens a portal to another dimension. Talk about taking things to a new level!