"Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" screenwriter Don Payne recently spilled a few beans to the guys at Comics2Film.com, and while we’re not diving into spoiler territory, there’s some stuff here that the fans will probably appreciate.
The whole interview is pretty darn solid, but I’ll just break a few revelations down into handy-dandy bullet points.
–Galactus will be presented more as a "force" than a "character," which sounds confusing to me, but I don’t even remember Galactus all that well. (Was he related to Green Lantern?)
–In news that should certainly please the hardcore comic kook, Mr. Payne lists his source material: The "Coming of Galactus” story from Fantastic Four #48. "We’re also using elements from Fantastic Four #57-60, where the Silver Surfer encounters Dr. Doom," Payne says. "Then there are a couple moments that were inspired by Ultimate Extinction."
–Payne’s an old-school comics geek, and he wants the fans to know it!
–To those who were worried about the screenwriter’s approach to the beloved Silver Surfer character, fear not: "I think he may be the most complex comic character of all time. He’s mysterious and he’s powerful and he’s menacing and he’s aloof but he’s also thoughtful and noble and tragic. He’s made this huge sacrifice and yet he’s bringing about the destruction of countless worlds and civilizations. He feels guilty about it but he has to have this Zen-like detachment." Hey, depth!
–The Thing will be a bit more resigned to his fate, The Torch will still be a smart-ass, and Reed and Inviso-chick will hit the altar — but could the Silver one throw a wrench into their romance? Hmmm.
–If "FF2" goes over well and the Surfer FX are suitably amazing, Payne imagines a world in which The Silver Surfer gets, you guessed it, his very own movie.
–Dr. Doom will be back and angrier than ever.
–There’s at least four or five classic "Fantastic Four" stories that Payne would love to tell, so get ready for a long series, my friends.
Check out the full interview right here.
