If Fantastic Four reboots, should Marvel shake-up the team?

[Vic Vega]

The biggest problem with the Fantastic Four is that it's almost always a four man team by default.

For most people all that means is that probably they are only interested in
around two of the F.F and don't care enough about the others to pick up the book.

Even Hickman only got F4/Future Foundation to sell by killing off Johnny and replacing him with Spider Man.

The FF whatever they end up calling themselves: Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four, Inc. Fantastic Force, etc. they need to go to at least a 7 man team.

I'm not even suggesting they get rid of the original four.

I'm suggesting they add members based on who they hang out with.

Like Reed, Sue, Johnny, Ben and She Hulk (thier lawyer), Luke Cage (the bodyguard) and whoever Johnny Storm is with that month.
In the past Johnny has been with Crystal, Lyja and Namorita.

If he were to take up with say, Dazzler or Spider Woman they'd join the team.

Where all joining the FF really means is that the core group feels close enough to the character
in question to go on adventures with them.

[Flash Gordon]

Move the concept forward as THE FUTURE FOUNDATION. Have Reed, Sue, Ben, Johnny, Franklin, Valeria, Namor, Scott, Darla, Jennifer, Medusa, Dragonman. Bring in even more characters. Hell, maybe Spider-Man too. Build it up as a multidimensional/cosmic adventure book set in Manhattan.

They're the bridge between Earth and the home of the Inhumans. The voyagers setting their sails and heading into the unknown.

Have an Earth based team in Ant-Man, Ms. Thing, She-Hulk, and Medusa. Reed as the mad scientist trying to find new planes of existence, and his family following him into the unknown. The Foundation would interact with the Avengers, as their go-to science experts. They'd once again be the heart of the Marvel Universe.

[Vic Vega]

That's a fair point, other people and generations were able to look past it...

I guess i'm just not one of those people who are able to look past it with Thing... i guess it's a combination of i don't like the characteristics of Grimm putting aside the outdated thing, to begin with... and then adding that to it, in addition to. Because i don't mind some characters out of the past but with Grimm it doesn't work for me.

So... sorry to say for those who like him, for me the series would be much better without 'em... or, if he was modernized.

Also i wouldn't mind Johnny being gay, his arrogance and the way he treats women is ghastly... i think the character would be much more interesting if it came out that was just him overcompensating for his insecurities about coming out as homosexual and dealing with it all. I would certainly find the character much more interesting than i do currently.

Therefore, my initial changes to the F4 would be... changing focus to the kid's POV, Thing becoming a former gangster from "da hood", and Johnny coming out as gay.

Hey, can't do much worse than it's been doing.

Johnny Storm isn't even a successful womanizer.

Not if we are going to look at him as the Marvel earth equivalent to a 25 year old Derek Jeter or a Leo DiCaprio where
they are never seen with anyone who isnt famous and extremely hot.

Johnny in the comics was a one woman man who got dumped by his long time girlfriend for Quicksilver of all people. He then took up
with his best friend's ex only to find out she was an alien in disguise.

Oh I forgot to mention the time he got dumped for Galactus.

When Johnny Storm isn't taking an humiliating L in his relationships, he merely talks big.

Dude has to maintain his dignity somehow.

I'm suggesting that if the FF are the most famous people on Earth than Johnny needs to act like DiCaprio if he had Super powers, he needs to be the Derek Jeter of superhero-dom. A womanizing jet setter.

Then you can get into all of the up and downs of that kind of thing.

Millar had the right idea, his execution was awful.

[SXVA]

Johnny Storm isn't even a successful womanizer.

Not if we are going to look at him as the Marvel earth equivalent to a 25 year old Derek Jeter or a Leo DiCaprio where
they are never seen with anyone who isnt famous and extremely hot.

Johnny in the comics was a one woman man who got dumped by his long time girlfriend for Quicksilver of all people. He then took up
with his best friend's ex only to find out she was an alien in disguise.

Oh I forgot to mention the time he got dumped for Galactus.

When Johnny Storm isn't taking an humiliating L in his relationships, he merely talks big.

Dude has to maintain his dignity somehow.

I'm suggesting that if the FF are the most famous people on Earth than Johnny needs to act like DiCaprio if he had Super powers, he needs to be the Derek Jeter of superhero-dom. A womanizing jet setter.

Then you can get into all of the up and downs of that kind of thing.

Millar had the right idea, his execution was awful.

Successful or not, it's the intent and the treatment, etc...

There can be a sleazy guy who's at the bar all of the time and hitting on Females in a crude/vulgar way, just because he doesn't end up getting what he wants and they turn him down/become offended, doesn't change the sleaze factor all that much. I can't stand Johnny's arrogance and intended treatment and attitude with ladies, personally. Reminds me of the stereotypical popular quarterback jock who thinks he's God's gift to all women and they all want him, and basically intends to use them for his ego or some other sordid self absorbed motive, etc.

Lmao @ dumped for Galactus, that's pretty funny though. Never read that.

[Montressor]

I've always loved the idea of Sue having a 'special place in her heart' for Namor, and I'd love to see her separate from Reed and hook up with Namor for a couple of storyarcs.

[Crimz]

Move the concept forward as THE FUTURE FOUNDATION. Have Reed, Sue, Ben, Johnny, Franklin, Valeria, Namor, Scott, Darla, Jennifer, Medusa, Dragonman. Bring in even more characters. Hell, maybe Spider-Man too. Build it up as a multidimensional/cosmic adventure book set in Manhattan.

They're the bridge between Earth and the home of the Inhumans. The voyagers setting their sails and heading into the unknown.

Have an Earth based team in Ant-Man, Ms. Thing, She-Hulk, and Medusa. Reed as the mad scientist trying to find new planes of existence, and his family following him into the unknown. The Foundation would interact with the Avengers, as their go-to science experts. They'd once again be the heart of the Marvel Universe.

I really like that idea, they should have a few mutant members as well.

[Crimz]

I've always loved the idea of Sue having a 'special place in her heart' for Namor, and I'd love to see her separate from Reed and hook up with Namor for a couple of storyarcs.

I hate the whole Sue/Namor thing, the only part I like is that she is the one thing he can't have. I like it to stay that way even if she and Reed separate.

[Darth Phoenix]

Temporal displaced Future4
franklin Richars age 21
Val Richards age 19
Shakkar current hulk son only current timeline member
Luna age 21 new enhanced mental talents and Inhuman bodyguard old Tusk from future

Saving the world while trying to figure how to switch back with the real Fan4

[vitamin]

Dump the oldies and put children on the forefront.

Adolf
Ahura
Bentley 23
Broo
Dragon Man
Korr
Leech
Artie Maddicks
Idie Okonkwo
Mik
Miss Thing
Onome
Alex Power
Franklin Richards
Mr Franklin as mentor
Tildie Soames
Tong
Turg
Vil
Valeria Richards
Adult Valeria as mentor
Wu

[Blind Otto]

"Should Marvel shake up the team?"
No. Rather, Marvel should remember that they're NOT a team. They're a family.
They work best when they're not all about super-heroing. They're not there to protect New York. That's why we have Spider-Man and the Avengers.
They're not there to fend off alien invasions. Again, Avengers.
The direction Winter Soldier is going in would work better for them - just with fewer gamma guns. Explore. Investigate. Boldly go where no man has gone before. Maybe prevent the occasional threat, but have that as the exception, not the rule.

The FF works best when they're encountering new races, new concepts, expanding the corners of the Marvel universe.
So, for a "shake up" that doesn't involve a change of membership, here's a couple of suggestions:
1. Convert the Baxter Building into some form of space ark, fire them off into space, and enjoy the ride!
2. Send them somewhere other than New York for an extended period. How about a year or three in Africa, rebuilding Wakanda? Or have Reed assigned to make sure none of Immortus's future tech is still in Egypt? Several months in the Amazon jungle, or a sabatical to Japan?

But, changing the membership? No need, unless you insist that they're a super-hero team that actually serves a purpose in a given location.

[Nomads1]

Lmao @ dumped for Galactus, that's pretty funny though. Never read that.

During Byrne's run. Frankie Raye dumps him because she has a crush on Galactus and agrees to become his new herald, Nova, to eternally suffer at his side in her platonic love.

Peace

[Agent Z]

That's a fair point, other people and generations were able to look past it...

I guess i'm just not one of those people who are able to look past it with Thing... i guess it's a combination of i don't like the characteristics of Grimm putting aside the outdated thing, to begin with... and then adding that to it, in addition to. Because i don't mind some characters out of the past but with Grimm it doesn't work for me.

So... sorry to say for those who like him, for me the series would be much better without 'em... or, if he was modernized.

Also i wouldn't mind Johnny being gay, his arrogance and the way he treats women is ghastly... i think the character would be much more interesting if it came out that was just him overcompensating for his insecurities about coming out as homosexual and dealing with it all. I would certainly find the character much more interesting than i do currently.

Therefore, my initial changes to the F4 would be... changing focus to the kid's POV, Thing becoming a former gangster from "da hood", and Johnny coming out as gay.

Maybe Sue goes all "Weeds" and starts selling Reed's inventions on the black market, and she and Valeria hang more and more with Doom to where that becomes a whole thing. Doom trying to deal with his villainy thing while balancing dealing with the ladies, Reed has a mid life crisis... decides he's not saving the world anymore and is just going to slack off and get some "me time" while finding himself.

Hey, can't do much worse than it's been doing.

Wouldn't portraying him as being more respectful to women or at least showing that his behavior is inappropriate be a much better idea. Also, Johnny being gay might be a good idea in theory but it's more than likely to be perceived as a publicity stunt by Marvel (look at the chaos that ensued after they cast a black actor to portray him in the upcoming movie). And if you find the way he treats women to be sleazy, what makes you think he'll treat men any better?

[Nomads1]

There already is a sort of precedent (or testing of the waters) of sorts, for Johnny being gay. Wasn't his sole rele for the movies The Rawhide Kid, who Marvel also, out of the blue, kicked out of the closet?

That said, I'm against the idea. You want good gay characters, create good gay characters. (Same with Blackk, female, latinos, etc...) Just don't create them to kill them off, like it happened with Freedom Ring.
I'm not a fan of Johnny. Lee/Kirby and Byrne's are actually my least favorites. I could stand him during the DeFalco and the Waid runs, and what little I read of him during the Hickman run (which I didn't read all). I only really liked him was when Chris Evans portraited him in the FF movies. IMHO< it's exactly what Johnny should be like. An immature, spoiled, self-centered yet brave and extremely likable jerk.

Peace

[Trident]

You know the really cool thing about a Universe filled with different diverse characters with different personalities guys? It's that there is a little something for everybody and an example/representation of actual personalities in the real world. Not everyone in the comic universe should be like able or fit societies idea of model citizen.

I'm not a huge of Johnny Storm or anything but his personality is fine. He isn't even really "womanizer" as some are suggesting. He is just really into women, which isn't a crime. Most of his stuff that could be considered "offensive" was either written in a time when that type of thing was acceptable or while he as still a teenager. (And who doesn't know at least one girl crazy teenage boy?)

I don't just seems that if fans are truly interested in the character receiving a higher profile then we really should be asking for more interesting and thought provoking stories from the character. As opposed to changing them into something that they are not.

[Xhatch]