Production Companies 20th Century Fox, Marvel Enterprises, 1492 Pictures, Constantin Film Produktion GmbH, Kumar Mobiliengesellschaft mbH & Co. Projekt Nr. 3 KG
“Johnny doesn’t really preoccupy himself with the troubles of the others,” says Evans. “He’s way too self-involved. Yes, he pokes fun at his sister and is constantly yanking Ben’s chain. He respects Reed as the genius scientist he is but clearly recognizes that the guy is so lost in his work and has done everything to screw up his chances with Sue. That’s what Johnny brings to the family dynamic, sort of an unconditionally loving apathy. Ultimately, he does grow up a bit and realizes the importance of the team and the responsibility that has been thrust upon them.”
Once again, the visual effects magic complemented the actor’s performance. “Johnny’s Human Torch fire powers are a blending and layering of real and computer-generated fire elements,” says Kurt Williams. “We shot real elements on a soundstage that ranged from a flame as small as a Bic lighter to a large, swirling tornado-like element for his ‘supernova’ effect. The real elements were then enhanced with the CGI elements.
Much like Jessica’s invisibility, we never wanted to cover up Chris’s performance with fire; rather, we want the audience to always be able to see his face and his eyes even when he’s completely engulfed in flames.” Another object of Johnny’s ribbing is Ben Grimm. When actor Michael Chiklis was eighteen years old, he told his brother “that if they ever make a movie of the Fantastic Four comic book, I’m going to play Ben Grimm.” Was this wishful thinking or teenaged prophecy?
“What can I say,” says Chiklis, grinning, “I just always had an affinity and an deep affection for the Fantastic Four and Ben Grimm, in particular. Here I was this little kid reading about this humble guy who came from the same kind of humble, middle-class upbringing that I did. Ben overcame a lot of things and went on to become an outstanding pilot and astronaut. He gave a lot of hope to kids like me that we could achieve our dreams, too. Now, having played him in this movie, one of my dreams has indeed come true.”
Chiklis readily admits that having the opportunity to play a cultural icon like Ben Grimm/The Thing was a daunting task.
“Ben goes through some heavy duty stuff after the accident in outer space,” says Chiklis. “From an actor’s point of view, his character arc is filled with an incredible amount of emotional and physical transformations. He starts out as this strong, confident, self-effacing guy and ends up a monster and a hero and a celebrity. It’s terribly difficult for him to accept his misfortune because he’s not the kind of guy who wants to be the center of attention. He just wants to be Ben again.
“So, yes, this role proved to be one of the most challenging things I’ve done in my life and career,” continues Chiklis. “I personally had to overcome a great deal of fear and apprehension with the task that was ahead of me. Especially once I saw what I was going to be going through with the whole makeup and wardrobe thing. The first day I put on the costume was a very intense and frightening experience and it was a real psychological test of my coping skills. I felt genuine fear.
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