--- description: How the filmmakers are updating the story for the Internet age — for better or worse title: Everything You Need to Know About the New 'Fantastic Four' Movie image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [movies](/tag/movies/) ## movies Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Everything You Need to Know About the New _Fantastic Four_ Movie ## Video: Fantastic Four Official Teaser Trailer [Watch (HLS stream): Fantastic Four Official Teaser Trailer](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/QAtu3oMw.m3u8) (1:55)  _Published 2015-01-27. Fantastic Four Official Teaser Trailer_  by [Eliana Dockterman](/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Correspondent Jan 27, 2015 6:45 PM CUT  by [Eliana Dockterman](/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Correspondent Jan 27, 2015 6:45 PM CUT The new _Fantastic Four_ teaser trailer premiered today, and though this summer superhero film hasn’t created the same frenzy as the next _Avengers_ movie, it _does_ give us a glimpse at a new generation of heroes. The trailer promises to tell the origins story of a group of space explorers who have a responsibility to “discover” and “build” for future generations. In short, it tells us very little about what to expect in August. Still, here’s what we _do_ know: **It’s covering the** **_Fantastic Four_** **origin story** Based on the trailer, audiences can expect this movie to tell us (again) how a group of astronauts became a crime-fighting team. In the original Stan Lee and Jack Kirby comic books, four characters — Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), Sue Storm (the Invisible Woman), Johnny Storm (the Human Torch) and Ben Grimm (the Thing) — travel to space in a rocket, where they encounter cosmic rays that give them superpowers. In an [interview](https://www.yahoo.com/movies/the-fantastic-four-teaser-trailer-with-commentary-109246554892.html "undefined") with Yahoo, director Josh Trank (_Chronicle_) and writer/producer Simon Kinberg (_X-Men: Days of Future Past_) said that they took this origins tale and updated it with the new possibilities of interdimensional travel. (Hence why this trailer [looks _so much_](http://insidemovies.ew.com/2015/01/27/fantastic-four-trailer/ "undefined") like the one for _Interstellar_.) Perhaps the most important aspect of the comic books, to which Trank and Kinberg say they will stay faithful in the film, is that the _Fantastic Four_ group is a tight-knit group. Sue and Johnny Storm are brother and sister in the comics, and Reed Richards and Ben Grimm are long-time friends of theirs. (Sue and Reed eventually marry.) Unlike the _Avengers_ or _Guardians of the Galaxy_ or even _X-Men_, the entire group acts like a loving, bickering, realistic family: They have a history together before they get their powers, and must learn to evolve together. **It’s a reboot** Didn’t we already have two _Fantastic Four_ movies starring [the guy](http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/chris-evans-michael-b-jordan-phenomenal-human-torch-article-1.1740465 "undefined") who now plays Captain America? Yes, we did. But Fox decided to reboot the franchise because this is the era of the superhero film — and also because the original films were pretty terrible. But unlike those _Amazing Spider-Man_ reboots, Fox is promising a tonal departure from the mid-’00s _Fantastic Four_ films. This take looks much darker and more dramatic than its predecessors, more like a sci-fi film based on a comic book than a _Guardians of the Galaxy_\-style romp. (They even put glasses on Miles Teller to make him look smart!) Despite [unsubstantiated rumors](http://screenrant.com/fantastic-four-reboot-2015-reshoots-rumors/ "undefined") that there’s been trouble on set, Fox has already given the franchise a vote of confidence by greenlighting a sequel before the trailer for the first even premiered. Fans are hoping that this _Fantastic Four_ will be improved by its intriguing cast. (No offense, Chris Evans!) Which brings us to the most important point… **It has an interesting, young cast** _Fantastic Four_ will feature some of the most buzzed-about new talent in Hollywood. ### Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic  Miles Teller David Livingston—Getty Images Miles Teller will lead the team as Mr. Fantastic, who can stretch his body into incredible lengths. Teller earned critical buzz for his performance in the Oscar-nominated _Whiplash_ this year, as well as 2013’s _The Spectacular Now_. Teller has a knack for playing a sympathetic jerk in those movies, as well as in _That Awkard Moment_ and the _Divergent_ series. He’ll likely bring some of that self-important scumminess to the role of Reed Richards, who’s a genius and frequently acts cold and aloof to his fellow heroes. ### Susan Storm / Invisible Woman  Kate Mara Dimitrios Kambouris—Getty Images Kate Mara is set to play Sue Storm, who can make herself invisible. Though she’s starred in _Shooter_, _127 Hours_ and _American Horror Story_, Mara is probably best known for her turn as the ethically compromised journalist Zoe Barnes on Netflix’s _House of Cards_ with Kevin Spacey. Mara signed on to _Fantastic Four_ and several other action films after she was unceremoniously dispatched from _Cards_. She also stars in _Captive_ opposite David Oyelowo, Ridley Scott’s _The Martian_ and _Man Down_ with Shia LaBeouf this year. ### Johnny Storm / Human Torch  Michael B. Jordan Tasos Katopodis—Getty Images Casting Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm is perhaps the best indication that this version of _The Fantastic Four_ is taking itself very seriously. Though Jordan has indulged his lighter side in _That Awkward Moment_ (also opposite Teller), he’s proven that he has serious acting chops as Wallace in _The Wire_, Vince in _Friday Night Lights_, Alex in _Parenthood_ and — of course — Oscar Grant in _Fruitvale Station,_ a role which many critics argued should have earned him an Oscar nod. In the 2005 and 2007 versions of _Fantastic Four_, Chris Evans played the Human Torch — whose power is catching fire — for laughs, but it’s hard to imagine Jordan as the comic relief in this new film. ### Ben Grimm / The Thing  Jamie Bell Kris Connor—Getty Images Remember the kid from _Billy Elliot_? Now he’s all grown up and turned into The Thing. Jamie Bell (_King Kong,_ _Nymphomaniac_) plays a former college football star and friend of Reed Richards who becomes a NASA astronaut. He’s turned into a rocky creature and must find ways to cope with his new appearance (which, unlike the other three characters, he cannot hide). The filmmakers used motion-capture technology to film Bell in the role. ### Victor Domashev / Doom  Toby Kebbell George Pimentel—Getty Images Though he doesn’t appear in the trailer, the Fantastic Four’s nemesis, Doctor Doom, has been the most controversial character leading up to the film’s release. In an [interview](http://collider.com/doctor-doom-new-origin-fantastic-four-movie/ "undefined") with Collider, actor Toby Kebbell (_Dawn of the Planet of the Apes_) revealed that his character’s name has been changed from Victor Von Doom to Victor Domashev, and he goes by the name “Doom” on blogs. Yep, the original mad scientist/evil villain is now a programmer/blogger — a change that has fans [up in arms](http://io9.com/the-fantastic-four-reboot-is-reinventing-doctor-doom-in-1657191173 "undefined"). In the comics, Doom declares himself ruler for life in his homeland of Latveria and plots to take over the world weekly. 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