Marvel’s First Family Is ‘Fantastic’ Again

With “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer,” Marvel Comics’ “first family” get another shot at an action-packed, big-screen spectacle, befitting the iconic characters beloved by fans of all ages.

The Fantastic Four meets their greatest challenge yet in the sequel, as the enigmatic Silver Surfer comes to Earth to prepare it for destruction. As the Silver Surfer races around the globe wreaking havoc, Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben must unravel the mystery of the Silver Surfer and confront the cosmic being pulling his strings: the terrifying “world devourer,” Galactus. On top of that gigantic threat, they are forced to deal with the return of their archenemy, the fearsome Dr. Doom.

All of the principal actors return for the sequel to the original 2005 blockbuster, including Ioan Gruffudd, Michael Chiklis, Chris Evans, Julian McMahon, and Jessica Alba.

“In ‘Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer,’ we cover everything from weddings, to talk about families… to wanting a normal life,” Alba told Access Hollywood. “And we end up having to, you know — really save the world again. Because that’s what we do. We’re superheroes!”

In an interview with the Web site Comics2Film, the cast spoke about what drew them to take up their “Fantastic Four” roles; iconic characters who have been a part of the Marvel universe for over 45 years.

“It’s just a great opportunity to play a superhero,” said Chris Evans, who plays the hot-headed Johnny Storm. “It’s just every little boy’s dream. In that regard it’s just a great character.”

Ioan Gruffudd (“Reed Richards”) had a similar take: “It’s sort of seeing myself, the image of myself that I desired to have watching these movies as a kid. It literally is a dream come true to play a heroic part. To play a superhero is a little extra bonus. So it’s seeing that childhood dream come true.”

Julian McMahon took on the challenge of playing Dr. Doom for one specific reason: he likes to play evil. “As an actor, particularly playing the evil guy, you get to just do silly, fun stuff,” he remarked. Certainly a long change from his sex-a-holic character on FX’s “Nip/Tuck.”

But the thing about the Fantastic Four that sets them apart from most other superheroes is their family unit dynamic. As many can attest to, fighting with your family can be even more draining than a supervillain brawl!

“People relate to [the Fantastic Four] because we all have our own dysfunctional families,” said Michael Chiklis (“Ben Grimm”). “You’d be hard pressed to find a family that isn’t dysfunctional.”

And when Jessica Alba sat down with Access, she stressed that this movie stands out from other action films because of it’s real-life themes — particularly when it comes to her character, Sue Storm.

“For me, it’s interesting, because [Sue] really is trying to balance being a working woman and having the demands of being a superhero,” said Alba. “She’s trying to balance that out and be her own person, and still fulfilling her dreams and her ideas of what it means to be a mother, a wife, and a woman. I think a lot of women can understand trying to balance family and work.”

And while the film has a sensitive side, don’t think for a moment that it’s not full of the pulse-pounding action, suspense and special effects that made the first film a smash hit.

“The sequence is an unbelievable sequence,” she said of a wedding scene that goes horribly awry. “Probably something you’ve never seen in a movie before.”