Fantastic Four: 5 Major Differences Between The Original Script And Finished Film

4. The Movie's Mid-Point Jumps 4 Years Forward Instead Of 1, And It Works Way Better

Just after the gang get their powers in Fantastic Four, the film jumps forward one year, but it really could be any indeterminate period of time - when we cut back the characters haven't evolved in any meaningful way. In Slater's script the leap-forward is longer, with the individual development of the leads more keenly fashioned. Ben's still serving with the military, but he's come to terms with being a monster; instead the early script script takes extra care to establish his issue is Reed's abandonment. Reed has fled to Jakarta, trying to sell a prototype FantastiCar to Toyota, but receiving mixed feedback due to its required nuclear component. Sue's using her abilities to help treat cancer and Johnny's a reality TV star, albeit in decline. How much clearer does that make each individual character's journey? Majorly. Ben needs to resolve his issue with Reed. Sue's nurturing, maternal instincts are firmly established. Johnny's showmanship is failing him, so he'll need to find value as part of a team. Reed is continuing to display the same bone-headed stubbornness partially responsible for the gang's accident - I guess he'll have to sort that out. Every character has a clearer motivation or sense of self because of the protracted break, whereas the "1 year later" period just leads to a messy, murky explanation of where the character's are internally and externally. Hell, I don't even know what it is Johnny and Sue are meant to be doing at this point in the finished film. Slater's draft seems to solve that.