February 1, 2006
With the recent announcement of a June, Vancouver start date for Fox' "Fantastic Four 2", comes word that villain 'Doctor Doom' will re-appear.
On December 5, 2005, we reported that Fox had greenlit "Fantastic Four 2", set for release July 4, 2007.
Actors Ioan Gruffudd ('Mr. Fantastic'), Jessica Alba ('Invisible Woman'), Chris Evans ('Human Torch') and Michael Chiklis ('Thing') will return to reprise their roles.
Director Tim "Barber Shop" Story will return to helm the film, as the first "Fantastic Four" feature grossed a worldwide box office of $320 million, due in part to VFX produced by Canadian production companies.
"Fantastic Four" filmed in Vancouver, BC.
"We tried to do something different than the brooding, dark setting you usually get in superhero films," Story said.
"The key to that movie was how to play with a comedic tone and the action and have it feel respectable to the genre ... now that everyone's been introduced, you can just get right to it. That's why so many superhero sequels improve on the original."
September 2005
Marvel CEO Avi Arad has confirmed that the original cast of Fox upcoming "FANTASTIC FOUR", have been signed to return for a sequel.
Arad said he would like to see Marvel's "Puppet Master" as the next villain to challenge the super-hero team in "FANTASTIC FOUR 2".
"Puppet Master's a great character", he said.
"Don't we all wish we had this power - especially when we are mad at someone."
'Puppet Master', according to writer Stan Lee, introduced in Marvel Comics' "Fantastic Four" #8, is the stepfather of Alicia Masters, the blind artist and romantic interest of 'Ben Grimm' aka 'The Thing'.
Using 'radio-active' clay Puppet Master is able to control people by fashioning voodoo doll 'puppet' likenesses of them.
Arad noted that actress Kerry Washington's character 'Alicia Masters' will have a larger role in further sequels down the line.
"It's not a big role in this one," he said about the upcoming FF movie, "but it's establishing her".
