'Fantastic Four' Reboot is Go!

Back in June, it was reported that Fox was considering rebooting their financially successful (but critically panned) "Fantastic Four" franchise. Now we have confirmation that the reboot is happening.

According to Variety, the "Fantastic Four" reboot will be produced by Akiva Goldsman ("Jonah Hex" and "Hancock") and written by Michael Green (co-executive producer of "Heroes" and co-writer of "Green Lantern").

Presently, it's unknown if the film's original cast—Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis—will reprise their roles for the third outing, but the earlier rumors of a "Fantastic Four" do-over indicated that new actors would take the reins of the series.

Plot details are also being kept under wraps, though the likelihood of the Silver Surfer emerging in a third "Fantastic Four" are unlikely given Fox's desire to build a solo feature around the character.

Based on Goldsman's most recent comic book efforts as a producer on "The Losers" and "Jonah Hex," it would appear that Fox is certainly angling for a darker take on the "Fantastic Four.
But Goldsman's earlier work tells a different tale: he's the writer responsible for "Batman Forever" and "Batman & Robin," two films that don't have the highest of marks from the fan community.

Every superhero movie wants to get “darker” right now. Of course, darker is a relative term. As it stands, there’s “dark, but fun” ("Iron Man") or “just plain dark” ("The Dark Knight"). I’m betting that "Fantastic Four" will be more like the former.
What are the advantages of rebooting "Fantastic Four"? Well, for Fox, it means getting another crack at a franchise that has already grossed over $500 million. And since they’re starting over, they can lock in a cast for a multi-picture deal without breaking the bank. For fans, it means getting to see a movie that doesn’t suck go beyond cliched action sequences and one-dimensional characters in order to actually tell a worthwhile story.

This reboot is most likely a political move by Fox because they're worried that their Marvel licenses will be running out sooner than later. And at this point, they really don't have a chance to get any new franchises (Marvel won't give them any more extensions). Once they realized the enormities of Disney buying Marvel, well, they probably decided it's better to get these Marvel movies going now or never.

Sources: Screen Rant, MTV News, First Showing