1) Set It In The 1960s
Going back to the idea of a reboot, the most drastic – and fitting – option for Fantastic Four would be for it to take place in the 1960s. By placing X-Men: First Class in that period, Matthew Vaughn was able to bring some of the much needed camp elements into the franchise which had been sorely lacking from Bryan Singer’s efforts.
This team could go one step further, and a movie which fully embraces their colourful personalities and ridiculous villains has the potential to be the most unique and fun superhero movie to date. Just imagine them battling the Mole Man in ’60s Manhattan.
On a more interesting note, this version could deal with the kind of misogyny that Sue Storm faced during this period, offering a refreshing spin on that as she proves herself the most important member of the team (something which sadly wouldn’t happen until decades later in the comics).
Think Mad Men meets X-Men, and embracing the silliness of the Fantastic Four could be the way to go. It worked in Tim Story’s movies but was not well executed. But, with the right script and director at the helm, revisiting the period that this group were at their most successful would be smart.
