With the rise of social media, it's hard to find trailers that don't spoil big revelations. Godzilla vs. Kong leaked Mechagodzilla, while The Falcon and the Winter Soldier spoiled Sam Wilson's look as the new Captain America before the finale. However, while Josh Trank's Fantastic Four reboot tanked in 2015, its debut trailer is a work of perfection and a masterclass in how to mysteriously tease a movie and make an impact.
Fox knew it had to be different as it repackaged the franchise as a bunch of teens who gained cosmic powers en route to becoming Marvel's "first family." It was a highly unique concept compared to Tim Story's campy movies in 2005 and 2007 and immediately, the trailer provided something visually dark amid a somber score of piano and strings. It perfectly encapsulated that gritty era of superhero movies, which Zack Snyder's Watchmen and Man of Steel brought, except this had a bit more wonder to it.
Right off the bat, Reg E. Cathey's voiceover as Dr. Franklin Storm sent chills down spines and spoke to the spirit of the property. "How did we get this far? Human beings have an immeasurable desire to discover, to invent, to build," he said. "Our future depends on us furthering these ideas. Our responsibility that rests on the shoulders of generations to come."
The quick shots of New York, night skies, cornfields and cars racing in the dirt spoke to the human side of the foursome, barreling quickly into young Reed and Ben toying with their inventions. It set the stage for the loss of innocence, being taken over by shots of Franklin's lab, government officials looking shady in meetings and the older teens marveling at the opportunity they'd been given -- which nailed the Ultimate Universe formula of youngsters being in over their heads.
Seeing Miles Teller's Reed fawning over equipment, Kate Mara's Sue focused on her computer, Jamie Bell's Ben interested only in baseball, and Michael B. Jordan's Johnny fixated on his car was a great way of shaping this, hinting that they may well end up being weapons rather than scientists. This is where the trailer then veered into action and horror territory, as they were sent to another dimension, powered up and returned to Earth in an air of suspense and intrigue -- all expertly matched by the haunting sound mixing.
The trailer didn't show exactly what happened in this volcanic ecosystem, but the glimpses of Ben breaking out of his rock shell, Johnny lighting up, Sue using her force field and Reed stretching was remarkable editing because these events were all kept so mysterious. And as Franklin added, "But with every new discovery, there is risk, there is sacrifice and there are consequences," it cemented an ominous aura and a war that could pit the team against Franklin and the government.
The closing shot of who many assumed then to be Dr. Doom also telling Reed the "answers" were coming was spot on, as it cut to the team in the Negative Zone where an apocalyptic rift was opening. This preserved the plot, characters and their motives, and the result was emotional and fascinating, which are qualities the film, unfortunately, lacked.
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