Fantastic Four Director Talks The Thing’s Transformation Cocoon, Storm Family

Even with a trailer and fast-closing release date, details on Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four reboot is still tucked in longbox of mystery. In fact, it’s almost fair to say that people have talked more about what they don’t know than what it’s actually fact.

But finally, Trank has given audiences more cosmic-powered breadcrumbs to follow. Opening up about his re-imagined Fantastic Four in a recent interview, Trank spoke on the main cast’s backstory while also answering a lingering question left from the trailer.

On the topic of the Storm siblings, Trank said it’s irrelevant that Johnny Storm/The Human torch is now African American, even though is sister is still Caucasian. 

“I have mixed family,” Trank explained to Empire Magazine. “When I go home for Christmas, you’ll see white people and black people. That’s normal to me. I wanted a Storm family that represented 21st century families.”

Trank also clarified that his rendition of Sue Storm will will honor the character’s high intelligence, investing far more in her intellectual strengths than any physical ones.

“There have always been two categories of Sue – the slutty secretary version, and this brilliant scientist version. This is a really, really smart Sue, and one that is dignified and has integrity,” he said.

One of the biggest questions that fans still hold for the Fantastic Four is the nature Ben Grimm’s transformation, and whether he would really turn into The Thing inside a cocoon, as the trailer suggested. However, Trank officially confirmed that what viewers saw was indeed a “transformation cocoon” that Ben Grimm will have to clobber his way out of. While we’ve had decent looks at the rest of the Four from set photos and the trailer, the Thing is the only major member for the Four that hasn’t been revealed.

Fantastic Four opens on August 7.

(Via CBM)