THE DARKEST MINDS
The Fantastic Four are back in action! Writer Dan Slott tells us about their return
It’s a new YA movie from Stranger Things producer Shawn Levy – and one that’s chillingly topical…
You didn’t think the Fantastic Four were gone for good, did you?
Fresh off his 10-year run on The Amazing Spider-Man, Dan Slott will be taking on another Marvel title next month when he helms the Fantastic Four’s long-awaited return. Illustrated by Sara Pichelli, opening storyline “Fourever” will see the first appearance of Reed and Sue Richards since they both vanished at the end of 2015 comic Secret Wars.
“It’s tough comparing the two books as they are both the gold standard of comics,” Slott tells Red Alert. “Spidey is the greatest superhero ever, and the FF is the greatest superhero team. No two franchises are more quintessentially Marvel than those two. Spidey was Marvel’s first big breakout star, but Fantastic Four is the bedrock and foundations of the entire Marvel Universe. When Stan Lee and Jack Kirby brought the FF to life in 1961, that was the title that ushered in the Marvel Age of Comics, and the world hasn’t been the same since.”
Having been absent for three years, Mr Fantastic and The Invisible Woman naturally find the Marvel Universe to now be a very different place. “The Marvel Universe is always changing at a rapid pace,” says Slott. “You go away and come back, and things are going to be a whole lot weirder. There is one major change to the world that will deeply affect the FF, which we will face head on in issue 4 and the fallout from that will lead to a big shift in the Fantastic Four’s set-up.”
Confirming that the relationship between Reed and Sue and their long-time partners Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm is “still at the heart of the book,” Slott reveals that the strong bond between them has only “intensified” in the intervening years. “This isn’t just about a team getting back together, as it’s actually a family,” he explains, revealing that Reed and Sue’s children, Valeria and Franklin – who disappeared alongside their mother and father – will also be “in the mix” alongside numerous guest stars. “The Fantastic Four are the cornerstone of the Marvel Universe, so everyone has missed them, so expect to see a lot of your favourite FF friends dropping by.”
Indeed, the much-revered quartet will be living up to their much-hallowed status as the First Family of the Marvel Universe. “The Fantastic Four are many things, including superheroes, adventurers and symbols of hope, but first and foremost, they’re a family,” says Slott. “That’s why we keep coming back to them. We could read about any old action heroes exploring the cosmos and fighting otherworldly threats, but what makes the FF so special is that fun family dynamic that we can all relate to. These are our brothers, sisters, best friends, parents and kids. We know these guys and we love them!”
Having also been known as the Future Foundation, the FF’s far-fetched theoretical side will also play an important part. “Expect lots of weird, trippy, cosmic ray, Negative Zone loopy Marvel Universe science!” laughs Slott. “This is science fiction that’s way heavier on the fiction – or rather, the fun!” SJ
Fantastic Four #1 is out 8 August.