After delving into the world of superheroes as Leonard, the unfortunate assistant to Doctor Doom in the 2005 Fantastic Four film, Hamish Linklater has certainly come a long way in his illustrious career. His journey is a testament to the fact that even a brief brush with the Marvel Universe can lead to great things!
For over a decade now, since the Fantastic Four made their debut in the 2005 movie “Fantastic Four,” they’ve held onto the title of the best live-action adaptation we’ve seen so far. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby back in the ’60s, these Marvel Comics stalwarts have been key figures within the comic book world. Regrettably, their live-action adaptations haven’t always shone. However, it’s hoped that the upcoming “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” will alter this trend. Until the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings these characters together on screen, why not revisit the original film directed by Tim Story?
Although several members of the original “Fantastic Four” cast have moved on to remarkable accomplishments, they remain iconic to many fans as the initial team. To this day, these actors continue to be influenced by their early Marvel roles, with Chris Evans set to reappear as Johnny Storm (the Human Torch) in the 2024 film “Deadpool & Wolverine.” As excitement builds for more classic Marvel characters appearing in The Multiverse Saga, now is the perfect moment to catch up on what the original Fantastic Four and their allies have been doing recently.
Ioan Gruffudd
The perfect Reed Richards-slash-Mr. Fantastic, there’s no one better for the role than Ioan Gruffudd. But following “Fantastic Four” and its 2007 sequel, “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer,” the actor took a step back from playing Marvel Comics superheroes. In the 2000s, Gruffudd also played abolitionist William Wilberforce in the 2006 historical drama “Amazing Grace” and British prime minister Tony Blair in the 2008 George W. Bush biopic “W.” After other small parts in movies like “Sanctum” and “Horrible Bosses,” Gruffudd starred opposite Toni Collette in the family comedy “Foster,” before landing the role of Andrew Martin on the CW’s short-lived mystery thriller, “Ringer.”
Following his stint, Gruffudd took on the lead character of the enigmatically immortal Henry Morgan in the short-lived mystery drama “Forever,” which aired on ABC from 2014 to 2015. In this interval, he made guest appearances on numerous TV shows, had smaller parts in movies, and lent his voice to DC Comics projects such as “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” and “Justice League: War.” Post these engagements, Gruffudd reprised a leading role in the 2017 BBC thriller series “Liar,” portraying surgeon Andrew Earlham. In 2018, he starred as Dr. Daniel Harrow on the ABC medical drama “Harrow,” which ran until 2021. Since then, he has been seen in the 2022 miniseries “The Reunion” and as Lockwood in the 2024 production “Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
Jessica Alba
Following her roles as Invisible Woman in both Fantastic Four films, Jessica Alba appeared in various movies from the early 2000s, such as “Into the Blue,” “Good Luck Chuck,” “Valentine’s Day,” and collaborator Robert Rodriguez’s “Machete” as Sartana. She held a leading role in Rodriguez’s 2011 film “Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World,” and reprised her character Sartana in 2013’s “Machete Kills.” After starring as Nancy in the 2005 adaptation of Frank Miller’s “Sin City,” she returned to the role almost a decade later in the 2014 sequel, “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.” Throughout the 2010s, Alba was featured in films like “Little Fockers,” “Stretch,” “Some Kind of Beautiful,” “Mechanic: Resurrection,” and as herself in the 2015 “Entourage” film.
After a long stint with television through smaller roles and a miniseries like “Spoils of Babylon”, Jessica Alba finally made a permanent move to the small screen in 2019 for “L.A.’s Finest”. This Spectrum Original series, a spin-off from “Bad Boys”, paired her with Gabrielle Union and both stars took on executive producer roles. However, it didn’t have a long run. Alba went on to headline the 2024 Netflix thriller “Trigger Warning”, where she also served as an executive producer. Notably, in 2023, she introduced her own reality TV series on Roku, “Honest Renovations”, alongside Lizzy Mathis. Together, they help families in need by renovating their homes.
Chris Evans
Among the actors from “Fantastic Four”, Chris Evans is arguably the one whose career has experienced a remarkable growth or takeoff, following his portrayal of Johnny Storm (a.k.a. the Human Torch) in both Fantastic Four films. After that, he delved deeper into the realms of superheroes and sci-fi, with roles like Casey Jones in “TMNT” (2007), Nick Grant in “Push” (2009), and Lucas Lee in “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” (2010). Interestingly, he reprised his role as Lucas Lee in a 2023 production titled “Scott Pilgrim Takes Off”. However, everything escalated for Evans when he was chosen to play Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, in Marvel Studios’ “Captain America: The First Avenger”. Following the release of “The Avengers” in 2012, Evans portrayed Captain America in eight more Marvel Cinematic Universe films, solidifying his status as a globally recognized star.
Despite Marvel not claiming all of Chris Evans’ time, he found opportunities elsewhere. He starred in the post-apocalyptic thriller “Snowpiercer” (2013), the family drama “Gifted” (2017), and the whodunit mystery “Knives Out” (2019). Post his farewell in “Avengers: Endgame” (2019), Evans delved into streaming with the legal thriller “Defending Jacob,” a miniseries about a father (Evans) dealing with his son’s murder charge. He then played himself in “Free Guy” (2021), voiced Buzz Lightyear in “Lightyear” (Pixar, 2022), and teamed up with Dwayne Johnson for the Christmas-themed action flick “Red One” (2024). For Fantastic Four fans, the most exhilarating role was undoubtedly reprising his character Johnny Storm in the numerous cameos of “Deadpool & Wolverine” (2024), giving us one final “Flame on!
Michael Chiklis
As a fan, I’d say that while Michael Chiklis is widely recognized for his portrayal of Ben Grimm (aka The Thing) in the Fantastic Four films, he truly rose to fame with his role as Detective Vic Mackey on the FX police drama “The Shield.” Although “The Shield” aired before “Fantastic Four,” it ended a few years later. Following this, Chiklis spearheaded the short-lived Fantastic Four-inspired superhero comedy series “No Ordinary Family” on ABC.
Beyond his television roles, Chiklis has returned to the silver screen on various occasions. Notably, he portrayed Defense Secretary in the 2008 thriller “Eagle Eye”, Derrick in the 2013 crime drama “Pawn”, Teddy Edison in the 2014 sports drama “When the Game Stands Tall”, and Father Dave in Adam Sandler’s “Hubie Halloween”. Additionally, Chiklis lent his voice to Deathstroke, a DC Comics villain, in the 2020 animated series “Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons” that was later re-edited into a full-length film. Aside from acting, Chiklis has also produced several projects, including “The Shield”, “No Ordinary Family”, “Pawn”, and “Coyote”. He has also directed episodes for shows like “The Shield”, “Vegas”, and “Accused”.
Julian McMahon
Prior to Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Doctor Doom in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Julian McMahon had already excelled as Victor Von Doom. However, it’s important to note that “Fantastic Four” wasn’t his only significant role. Similarly to Michael Chiklis, McMahon was also a lead actor on FX’s “Nip/Tuck” when the Marvel films were being produced. In this series, he portrayed Dr. Christian Troy alongside Dylan Walsh’s Dr. Sean McNamara. Following the end of “Nip/Tuck,” McMahon starred as Vice President Robert Stanton in the 2010 action thriller “Red,” another character named Robert in Bruce Willis’ firefighting thriller “Fire with Fire,” and Liam in the 2014 drama “You’re Not You.
McMahon made a comeback on TV, securing recurring roles in shows like “Full Circle,” “Hunters,” and “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency.” In 2015, he graced the screen in SyFy’s adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke’s “Childhood’s End” before rejoining the Marvel Universe in 2017 for Hulu Original “Runaways.” However, 2019 marked a significant shift for McMahon as he landed the role of FBI’s top agent, Jess LaCroix, on CBS’ “FBI.” This role led to a backdoor pilot for “FBI: Most Wanted,” where he was a prominent character during its first three seasons. Regrettably, his character met an end in 2022, paving the way for him to star in films like “The Surfer” and “The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat” in 2024.
Kerry Washington
Following my stint as Alicia Masters in the two Fantastic Four films, I found myself in several movies, such as “Woman in Burka,” “Miracle at St. Anna,” “Lakeview Terrace,” and Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained.” I also lent my voice to Natalie Certain in “Cars 3.” However, it’s safe to say that my most significant role post-“Fantastic Four” was Olivia Pope on Shonda Rhimes’ TV series “Scandal,” which aired on ABC from 2012 to 2018. I reprised the character in two episodes of another one of Rhimes’ shows, “How to Get Away with Murder,” in 2018.
As a devoted fan, I’ve been captivated by Kerry Washington’s impressive portfolio. Primarily on TV, she’s graced our screens in shows like “Little Fires Everywhere,” “Unprisoned,” and the podcast series “The Prophecy.” In addition to these roles, she’s also taken on executive producer credits for a few projects.
Hamish Linklater
Hamish Linklater, who portrayed the unfortunate assistant to Doctor Doom in the initial “Fantastic Four” film, has experienced a surge in his career over recent years. Prior to his big-screen appearances in films like “Battleship,” “42,” and “The Big Short,” he was well-known for his role as Matthew Kimble on “The New Adventures of Old Christine.” Afterward, he continued to balance television and film roles, including Jerry Dantana in the second season of HBO’s “The Newsroom,” Andrew Keanelly in “The Crazy Ones” starring Robin Williams, and Larue Dollard in the third season of “Fargo.” In 2017, he joined the cast of FX’s “Legion” as Clark DeBussy. During the late 2010s, Linklater also made appearances on shows such as “Monsterland,” “The Stand,” and “Tell Me Your Secrets.
Following a standout role as Father Paul in the 2021 Netflix horror series “Midnight Mass,” Linklater gained significant attention in the television industry. Subsequently, he featured in miniseries like “Angelyne,” “Gaslit,” and “Manhunt,” also lending his voice to the popular 2024 Amazon Prime Video animated series, “Batman: Caped Crusader” as Batman/Bruce Wayne. However, this doesn’t imply that Linklater has abandoned Marvel. In fact, in 2022, he collaborated once more with Doctor Doom, voicing the Spider-Man villain Sandman for the narrative podcast, “Marvel’s Wastelanders: Doom.” In 2023, Linklater wrote and directed his own dramedy feature film titled “Downtown Owl,” and in 2024, he appeared in both “Nickel Boys” and “Barron’s Cove.
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2024-11-27 15:30