The Unique Experience of Being in a Marvel Movie
For many actors, the experience of being part of a Marvel movie is unlike anything they've ever encountered. The Fantastic Four: First Steps cast, in particular, found themselves in a unique position as they brought Marvel's First Family into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). This new chapter in the MCU features Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they face off against dangerous new foes. The film also introduces Julia Garner and Ralph Ineson as the villains, the Silver Surfer and the cosmic being Galactus, marking their debut in the franchise.
The pressure to bring these iconic characters to life was immense, but the cast knew they couldn't discuss their experiences with just anyone. Instead, they turned to those who truly understood the challenges of working on a Marvel film. Ralph Ineson shared how he reached out to Willem Dafoe, known for his iconic performance as the Green Goblin in Spider-Man. Dafoe offered some valuable insight about finding one’s own truth amidst the chaos of a large-scale production.
Ineson explained that the key to success in a Marvel movie lies in maintaining authenticity. "You have to keep that kernel of truth that makes any bit of acting good," he said. "Whether it be the size of the project, the budget, the fan base, or the costumes, there's a whole craziness to doing a Marvel movie, but you have to keep that kernel of truth."
Julia Garner, who plays Shalla-Bal, echoed similar sentiments. She noted that the experience of working on a Marvel movie is different from traditional filmmaking. "There's definitely truth to what [Ralph is] saying," she added. "It's about finding something that's going to ground you because in general with movies there's a lot of distractions."
Garner also highlighted the differences between motion capture work and traditional costume-based roles. "The rhythm of doing voice work or motion capture work is very exhausting," she said. "Because you're constantly on, on and on."
A New Direction for Marvel
The Fantastic Four have had a presence in cinema before, with two films released in 2005 and 2015. However, this new adaptation marks a fresh start for Marvel. The studio has taken a bold approach, aiming to make the film feel different and new. Director Matt Shakman, known for his work on WandaVision, was given the creative freedom to shape the film in his own way.
Shakman emphasized the importance of the family dynamic in the story. "They're the first family of Marvel, they saved Marvel in the '60s by doing this radical idea of making a comic book about a real family," he said. "I think people have related to it for 60 plus years for that reason."
The cast, including Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, played a crucial role in bringing the story to life. "They're all such brilliant actors and they have such wonderful chemistry together," Shakman said. "Each one of them brought humanity to their characters, which I think is the biggest part of it."
Facing Backlash and Embracing Change
One of the most controversial aspects of the film is the gender-flipping of the Silver Surfer, with Shalla-Bal taking on the role instead of the original character, Norrin Radd. This change sparked backlash from fans, but Garner remained optimistic. "I was just very excited to play this character, and hopefully it resonates with people," she said.
Ralph Ineson, who portrays Galactus, was also faced with challenges. "He's got the greatest voice in movies," Ineson joked. "We built a suit for him. We shot him practically, we filmed him in a way that you film miniatures with a lot of light and certain optics so that he feels huge."
Both actors acknowledged that they were often cast in villain roles rather than heroes. "Nobody ever asked me to play a hero, they're like 'ohh villain'," Garner said. "I don't think I've ever been cast as a hero."
Building a New Universe
Shakman also highlighted the unique opportunity to create an entirely new universe within the MCU. "It's Earth-828, its own universe, they're the only superheroes in it," he said. "And so it was special, it was our own corner of the MCU that we got to build and develop."
Fantastic Four: First Steps premieres in UK cinemas on Thursday, 24 July.
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