The Fantastic Four: First Steps screenwriter Eric Pearson spoke in a recent interview about changes he made to the story, cut material, and an earlier version of the ending.
Reports have said the ending was changed, which involved the Female Silver Surfer being given a device that destroys Galactus and the Earth.
Insiders also filled me in that Galactus was going to destroy the Earth and that the Female Silver Surfer would die, which would have seen the Fantastic Four escape their universe and end up in the 616.
That was something teased by the Thunderbolts post-credit scene.
Pearson doesn’t go into details about the rumors, but confirms there was a different ending involving the Fantastic Four and Galactus in space.
Final Fight Originally in Space
Via THR, an earlier version of the script had the climax in space, but Pearson pushed to bring it to Earth:
There wasn’t the scale. I want to see him against the Empire State building. I want to see the Mets’ Stadium. I want to see him kicking buses and stuff like that. So I was like, “Let’s bring him down here.”
Moving Franklin Richards’ Birth
Pearson also said an earlier draft had Franklin born in the first act, but he shifted it to take place during the escape from Galactus:
In the drafts before, they had the baby in the first act. We moved it to the middle of all of that action. I was worried it was going to feel like too much when it first happened. All the elements — escaping Galactus, the Surfer is after them., they’ve also got to do this neutron star whip-around thing. That’s hard to do. Plus, she’s in labor whole time. I was worried that it was going to take away [from the birth], but it all kind of came together perfectly.
More Mole Man Scenes Cut
As many fans have suspected, it seems Marvel cut a lot out of the first act (it’s confirmed they also cut John Malkovich). It’s learned there were additional Mole Man moments, including a diplomatic talk with Sue Storm. Pearson says he wanted Mole Man to wander Reed Richards’ lab “touching every device like Baby Huey,” but the film kept his appearance limited:
There’s other scenes of Mole Man. There was another scene with Sue where she goes down and talks to him about diplomacy, which was super fun and super funny. Movies are a tough stew. Sometimes you’ve got a great scene, and it’s just not the right flavor for the stew. But I was like, “We can’t go back down there again. Let him come into Reed’s place and touch everything.” That was literally my pitch: “I want Mole Man to come in.”
Limits of Reed Richards’ Powers
Another big complaint by fans is that Pedro Pascal’s Mr. Fantastic doesn’t really use his powers all that much. Pearson reveals that director Matt Shakman was worried it would look too goofy:
I don’t know if it made you uncomfortable, the stretch [of Reed Richards]. [Director] Matt [Shakman] wasn’t allergic to stretching, but he was like, “I want to know my rules for stretching and I don’t want it to be too crazy cartoony. I want it to be within the physiology of the human body.” So I was like, “Well, if you want that, then let’s test the limits.” And it felt like [Reed Richards actor] Pedro [Pascal]’s ribcage was coming apart. You want the moments where it feels like they’re totally screwed and they’re going to lose.
Johnny Storm and Shalla-Bal
Pearson wrote more flirtation from Johnny toward the Silver Surfer, Shalla-Bal, though much of it was cut. He also helped shape Shalla-Bal’s character as emotionally restrained, like Spock, until she’s moved by Johnny’s actions. Originally, Pearson envisioned her emotional turn happening on Earth, reminding her of her water planet-like setting. He also confirms the plan was for her to save the day at the end of the film:
“In my drafts, there’s a lot more Johnny-Surfer flirtation, or one-way flirtation. It was all him, but endearing.”
“I remember the last version that I did, she went away and had her moment of, “I’m not right for this anymore.” And Johnny comes and talks to her. They did it in space in the final movie, but I remember always thinking it should be like Tahiti or something where she’s just actually sitting on the surfboard, like a surfer. We talked about her planet as mostly being a water planet. And just to have her be like, “Yeah, this kind of reminds me of home in a way.” I mean, I might’ve just been trying to add on too many layers of connection to Earth or to give her more of an excuse to want to come in and save the day at the end.”
With so much cut and an alternate ending involving Galactus and the multiverse left on the table, Marvel may have changed things to revisit some of these ideas in a Fantastic Four sequel or even in Avengers: Doomsday. Rumors do offer that a sequel is already being developed.
