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Vincent J. Roth has announced he’s returning as Surge in the third of his Surge Of Power movies. For those unaware, these things are highly campy low-budget superhero capers starring Roth’s character, which he claims is the first out gay superhero (we’ll take his word)…plus a variety of veteran actors with cult fanbases. The lineup for Surge Of Power: When There’s Smoke includes Nichelle Nichols (“Star Trek: The Original Series”) in one of her final performances, Robert Picardo (“Star Trek: Voyager”), Joseph Culp (“Fantastic Four”), Shannon Farnon (“Super Friends”), Michael Gray(“Shazam!”) and Bruce Vilanch (“Hollywood Squares”), all of whim were in the previous films. They’ll be joined this time by Tim Russ (“Star Trek: Voyager”), Sam J. Jones (“Flash Gordon”) and John Davey (Shazam!). Roth’s latest premiered at the Tarzana International Film Festival in August 2024, and he’s planning a three-city screening tour next.

Robert Downey Jr. has done everything from small character-driven dramas to big-budget blockbusters. The Oscar winner’s performances in films like Chaplin, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, The Judge, and Oppenheimer have been appreciated by fans and critics. However, his career-defining role as Iron Man in the MCU made him a global superstar.

Robert Downey Jr.’s Dr. Doom casting announcement at Comic-Con | Credits: Instagram- @marvelstudios

The actor is set to return to the franchise in a villainous turn as Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom in the upcoming Avengers films. The character recently debuted in Fortnite and the terrifying supervillain did heinous things to some beloved heroes. Fans hope the MCU’s version does not replicate what he did to Mr. Fantastic in the game.

Marvel Fans Will Erupt In Tears If The MCU’s Mr. Fantastic Gets The Fortnite Treatment

Doom in Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 4 | Credits: Epic Games

The...

Doctor Doom is one of Marvel's most iconic, recognizable and beloved supervillains. Doctor Doom has been played by three previous actors in live-action, and will soon be played by a fourth in the MCU. Joseph Culp, Julian McMahon and Toby Kebbell have all played Doctor Doom, while Robert Downey Jr. has been cast as the McU's Doctor Doom.

As one of Marvel's most iconic supervillains, Doctor Doom is a very coveted live-action role that has been taken on by only a handful of actors, and he will soon be joining the MCU. First seen in Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four #5 back in 1962, Victor Von Doom is one of Marvel's longest-running, most persistent and most dangerous villains. He has been featured as the archenemy of Reed Richards and the Fantastic Four for decades, but he has also taken on the likes of Doctor Strange, Iron Man, the Black Panther, and the X-Men.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is at a crossroads right now. Their post-Endgame dealings have been an overinflated mixed bag that supersaturated the market. Even their biggest hits have been more about giving a fond farewell to the past, whether it is goodbye to James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Sony’s earlier Spider-Man movies, or Fox’s X-Men movies. Projects that try to build toward the future have had some success, but also some notable failures.

It’s also been little help that the current Multiverse Saga lacks the same creative stability which underwrote the Infinity Saga’s build up of Thanos and the Infinity Stones. There’s been stuff about legacy and the multiverse, but bringing it together was a challenge. Briefly though, the MCU appeared to have something great going with the introduction of Kang the Conqueror as played by Jonathan Majors.

Initially, Majors seemed to be...

Robert Downey Jr. has been cast as Doctor Doom for Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, becoming the fourth actor to portray the villain in live-action. Doctor Doom has never been played by a Romani actor in live-action, despite this heritage being a huge part of his Marvel Comics backstory. It would be great to see a Romani actor cast as the McU's official Doctor Doom after Downey Jr.'s portrayal, marking huge progress in Romani representation in Hollywood.

Robert Downey Jr. will be returning to the MCU to play Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, but this casting continues to ignore a very important aspect of Doctor Doom's Marvel Comics history. Ever since Marvel Studios acquired the film rights to the Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom, the iconic villain has been heavily rumored to be joining the MCU. This was purely speculation until this year's San Diego Comic-Con,...

Long before Vanessa Kirby was cast as the MCU’s version of the Invisible Woman, another actor took on the role of Sue Storm in the Fantastic Four. The beautiful Jessica Alba played the part in 2005’s production and its 2007 sequel. Almost 20 years later, the actress has some surprisingly nice things to say about the Fox-era Marvel movies.

Speaking with Comicbook.com, Alba relayed her positive experience working on Tim Story’s Fantastic Four:

“I loved it so much playing that character. I feel like my whole life started in a lot of ways at that moment. I met my life partner, we’re still together, we have three kids. Tim Story, who directed, is still one of my best friends. We have New Year’s Eve together. It was great and she was such a cool, inspiring character and ahead of her time, I would say, in the genre.

Culp in costume as Doctor Doom Photo: Provided by Joseph Culp “It’s like a miracle… One million dollars cash to us if we star in a movie,” Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic, says with a no-nonsense look on his stretchable rubber face.His three blue-costumed team members...

The Fantastic FourPhoto: Uncork’d Entertainment

“It’s like a miracle… One million dollars cash to us if we star in a movie,” Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic, says with a no-nonsense look on his stretchable rubber face.

His three blue-costumed team members are enthusiastic upon hearing this news.

Natasha Lyonne has been cast in an undisclosed role in Marvel Studios' much-anticipated The Fantastic Four reboot. Orange is the New Black, Russian Doll, and Poker Face star Natasha Lyonne is known for her distinctive voice and tough persona. Natasha Lyonne could bring the likes of Medusa, Sharon Ventura, Frankie Raye, or Alicia Masters into the McU's The Fantastic Four.

Natasha Lyonne has joined the cast of Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four in an undisclosed role, so she could be bringing any number of brilliant Marvel Comics characters into the live-action MCU. Natasha Lyonne first came to prominence in the 1990s with small roles in Everybody Says I Love You, Slums of Beverley Hills, and American Pie, but achieved international recognition for her portrayal of Nicky Nichols in Netflix's Orange is the New Black. Lyonne has recently starred in acclaimed shows Russian Doll and Poker Face, and has become...

Doctor Doom has been touted to be one of the main antagonists of the MCU as the studio’s plans with Kang the Conqueror seemed to have taken a back burner due to Jonathan Majors’ firing. The character has been one of the most beloved villains in the Marvel universe and fans have been waiting for his arrival into the franchise.

Ahead of his rumored appearance in Avengers: Secret Wars, Doctor Doom made a cameo in the Disney Plus series X-Men ‘97. The latest episode of the series sees him aligned with the Zero Tolerance group, which is headed by Bastion and also has Zemo. However, Doom’s involvement with the group has irked fans as the character is not as villainous as the others.

Doctor Doom And More Make Cameos In X-Men ‘97 A still from X-Men ’97

The Beau DeMayo-created revival of X-Men: The Animated Series, X-Men ‘97...

Marvel’s Fantastic Four has lived through several iterations. In 1994, the first ambitious Fantastic Four life-action was made starring Alex Hyde-White, Rebecca Staab, and Jay Underwood, with Joseph Culp playing Doctor Doom. However, the movie was never released. While the Chris Evans-starrer Fantastic Four movie series was popular among fans, there was an attempt from Fox to reboot the franchise in 2015 with a roster of a talented cast.

Fantastic Four 2015 cast

Michael B. Jordan, who starred in 2015’s Fantastic Four, recently teased that he might appear in Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s Deadpool & Wolverine. Certainly, the movie has stacked an astonishing amount of surprises. Despite the release of a teaser and a trailer, the movie has managed to keep fans at bay with rumors and speculations.

Michael B. Jordan Teased His Human Torch Return

Michael B. Jordan in Fantastic Four

Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four had a talented cast,...

Insider Daniel Richtman shares insights into The Fantastic Four’s placement within the MCU Multiverse (Photo Credit – IMDb)

In contrast to many Marvel Cinematic Universe projects, The Fantastic Four is set to unfurl in a separate timeline, veering away from the established continuity. Insider Daniel Richtman, renowned for reliable intel shared on his subscription-based Patreon account, hints that the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot will reside in an alternate universe apart from Earth-616. If accurate, this marks the second MCU flick to venture into an alternate reality, following Deadpool & Wolverine, expected to explore the X-Men Universe under 20th Century Studios.

Richtman also discloses that principal photography for the much-anticipated film is slated to kick off in August, with London, England, as the backdrop. This revelation echoes Marvel Studios’ teaser of The Fantastic Four’s 1960s setting via its casting announcement artwork.

Marvel Studios initially announced The Fantastic Four in July 2019, appointing Matt Shakman,...

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/Film recently ranked the five live-action Fantastic Four films and came to the following daring conclusion: Oley Sassone's unreleased 1994 entry "The Fantastic Four" was the best. Many have seen this version of "The Fantastic Four" thanks to the wide circulation of bootleg copies, and it's been ridiculed in many cinematic circles for its low budget (it was made for only $1 million), its corny dialogue, and its aggressively bad special effects. But while the cheapness of Sassone's film is visibly evident -- it was overseen by B-movie elder stateman Roger Corman -- it does manage to capture the comic-operatic tone of the original 1960s comic books. It accurately understands the outsize nature of the characters.

For many years, the only way to see "The Fantastic Four" was through surreptitiously distributed VHS taps handed off between nerdy high school students. Thanks...

Original Doctor Doom actor pushes for release of 1994 Fantastic Four movie. The Fantastic Four was a low-budget adaptation of Marvel's First Family. Marvel Studios has recently announced the cast for the McU's Fantastic Four.

The original live-action Doctor Doom actor from the scrapped low-budget The Fantastic Four wants the movie to be released 30 years later.

GodzillaMendoza shared a video about what happened behind-the-scenes of the canceled Fantastic Four movie.

On Twitter, @GodzillaMendoza then shared Doctor Doom actor Joseph Culp's response to the video, with the actor calling for the 1994 movie to be released.

Holy ...! The original live action Doctor Doom himself, Joseph Culp commented on the video! https://t.co/XbL3qAPp99 pic.twitter.com/yHq5t1g5DD — Xavier Mendoza (@GodzillaMendoza) February 26, 2024

Source: @GodzillaMendoza/Twitter & GodzillaMendoza

Key Release Dates

Deadpool & Wolverine Release Date: 2024-07-26

Captain America: Brave New World Release Date: 2025-02-14

Marvel's Thunderbolts Release...

Film fans love to speculate on what canceled movie productions would have become. What would it have been like to see Steven Spielberg's science fiction epic "Robopocalypse," Quentin Tarantino's Vega Brothers movie, Stanley Kubrick's ambitious "Napoleon" biopic, or Alejandro Jodorowsky's "Dune" adaptation? Would they be everything fans imagined them to be? Or crushing disappointments? While it's fun to speculate, we can't put our faith into something that doesn't exist. Likely, these films wouldn't have lived up to fans' massive expectations.

Intriguing projects often never see the light of day in today's world of blockbuster-focused cinema. If a project becomes stuck in "development hell" for too long, its participants may lose interest. Major franchises like "Star Wars" and "Star Trek" and the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Universe have so many upcoming projects it can be hard to keep track of releases and cancellations. (We're thankful...

Exclusive: Mario Van Peebles (Power Book III: Raising Kanan) has wrapped production in Montana on Outlaws, a new Western that he wrote, directed and stars in for Quiver. Others joining Van Peebles in major roles include Whoopi Goldberg (Till), Cedric the Entertainer (The Neighborhood), Edward James Olmos (Mayans M.C.), John Carroll Lynch (Big Sky), William Mapother (Son of Monarchs) and M. Emmet Walsh (The Immaculate Room).

Outlaws follows Chief (Van Peebles), a renegade cowboy putting together a multicultural team of new and old friends in order to ride into dangerous unsettled territory to retrieve gold from an abandoned mine. Hot on Chief’s tail is Angel (Mapother), a spurned lawman and Civil War veteran with a thirst for vengeance. So begins a cross-country journey, with Chief and his band of Outlaws crossing paths with a number of interesting historical characters along the way, including a true-to-life Stagecoach Mary played by Goldberg.

Marvel's "First Family" has had a rocky road to the big screen. Although the characters of Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm have delighted Marvel comic book fans for generations, the "Fantastic Four" has never received the cinematic adaptation that they deserve. Unfortunately, these great characters have never been properly utilized. The "Fantastic Four" comics show what it's like to balance superhero responsibilities with familial duties.

Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, and the Thing were brought to life in 1994's "The Fantastic Four," a low-budget film that never received a theatrical release. It wasn't until 2005 that they made it to the big screen when Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, and Michael Chiklis were cast in Tim Story's "Fantastic Four." While the cast has strong chemistry, the film did not strike the right tone. 2007's "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" at...

When Warner Bros. Discovery announced its much-anticipated Batgirl movie would be shelved, the news sent shockwaves through Hollywood. While the studio eventually expressed concerns the work done by directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah failed to live up to “spectacle that audiences have come to expect from DC fare,” the final decision to leave the film unreleased, despite reportedly having spent upwards of 90 million on it, felt unprecedented in the ever-expanding age of superhero movies.

It was heartbreaking on multiple levels. Adil & Bilall had already proven themselves adept big budget filmmakers on the brilliant Bad Boys for Life while the eye-catching cast included J.K. Simmons getting another go as Commissioner Gordon, Brendan Fraser continuing the “Franaissance” as villain Firefly, and Michael Keaton donning the Batsuit for the first time in nearly two decades. Arguably the saddest aspect, however, was the fact it robbed Leslie Grace of a potentially star-making turn as Barbara Gordon,...

In the early days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, critics lobbied one consistent complaint against the franchise: no good villains. Sure, there was Loki and the Red Skull, but who else? Iron Monger was just Jeff Bridges’ head floating atop a CG robot, Maliketh the Dark Elf absolutely wasted the magnetic Christopher Eccleston, and the less said about Whiplash the better. Over the years, that complaint has diminished somewhat with the additions of Black Panther baddie Killmonger and the universe-destroying Thanos.

But even as the MCU continues to improve its roster of villains, there’s one irreplaceable bad guy fans are dying to see: the ruler of Latveria, Dr. Victor von Doom.

Doom’s Marvel Origin

Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Doctor Doom made his first appearance in 1962’s Fantastic Four #5, immediately establishing himself as a formidable threat, with his green tunic and metallic mask. The six decades...

Last year, 20th Century Fox released a “Fantastic Four” reboot directed by Josh Trank. Starring Miles Teller (“Whiplash”), Michael B. Jordan (“Creed”), Kate Mara (“The Martian”), Jamie Bell (“Snowpiercer”), the film was a critical and commercial disaster. The reboot tried to jumpstart the franchise after the original 2005 series underperformed with its 2007 sequel. But in 1994, Bernd Eichinger of Constantin Film and director Roger Corman teamed up to make their own “Fantastic Four” film that never saw the light of day.

Read More: Watch: First 3 Minutes From ‘Doomed! The Untold Story Of Roger Corman’s The Fantastic Four’

The new documentary “Doomed! The Untold Story of Roger Corman’s The Fantastic Four” chronicles the history of the first ill-fated movie version of Roger Corman’s superhero film that was all set to be released, only for it to be forever shelved. It features never before seen footage from the production as well...

How to be a Superhero

By Mark Edlitz

Bear Manor Media, 586 pages, $42.95/$29.95

Longtime readers of pop culture magazines have no doubt read interviews with actors who have donned capes, cowls, spandex, and prosthetics to portray heroes and villains drawn from comic books. I certainly was involved in my fair share of such interviews working at Starlog Press and its successors have continued, especially contemporary online outlets which are enjoying a bonanza of options.

Most of those interviews tend to be about the most immediate project with little insight or context about an actor’s association with a media property or being the latest in a long line to play the same role. And certainly, these interviews are sandwiched between news, features, and other topics. So, it’s a bit of a surprise that such a collection has not been attempted before.

Mark Edlitz, a hardworking writer with credits including The Huffington Post,...

Thanks to SneakPeekTV.Com, Sneak Peek producer Roger Corman's 1992 "The Fantastic Four" feature in its entirety, plus a trailer from director Marty Langford's documentary "Doomed ! The Untold Story of Roger Corman's 'The Fantastic Four':

Low-budget film producer Corman reportedly finished the New Horizons feature in 1992 and although filming was completed, the picture was never officially released.

"...in a flashback, 'Reed Richards' (Alex Hyde-White) and 'Victor Von Doom' (Joseph Culp) are college friends who use the opportunity of a passing comet to try an experiment; however, the experiment goes wrong, leaving Victor horribly scarred. 'Sue' and 'Johnny Storm' are two children living with their mother, who has a boarding house where Reed lives. 'Ben Grimm' (Michael Bailey Smith), is a family friend and a college buddy of Reed's.

"Early 1990s: Reed, 'Sue' (Rebecca Staab), 'Johnny' (Jay Underwood), and Ben go up into an experimental spacecraft as...

Back before Hollywood studios like Warner Bros., Sony, Paramount, Universal and 20th Century Fox realized that you could actually make money off of adapting silly comic books into movies, there was a German producer by the name of Bernd Eichinger. He had the vision to see that comic books could become blockbusters and had his company purchase the film rights to the Fantastic Four from Stan Lee. One issue, his company didn't have the money to actually make a big-budget Hollywood film. So, in order to keep the film rights his company hired Roger Corman to produce it, as he was well known for making films on the cheap. The cast included: Alex Hyde-White as Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic, Jay Underwood as Johnny Storm / Human Torch, Rebecca Staab as Sue Storm / Invisible Woman, Michael Bailey Smith as Ben Grimm, Carl Ciarfalio as the Thing and Joseph Culp as...

Sneak Peek a new trailer from director Marty Langford's documentary "Doomed ! The Untold Story of Roger Corman's 'The Fantastic Four', plus take a look at the entire film:

Low-budget film producer Corman reportedly finished the New Horizons feature in 1992, because German producer Bernd Eichinger wanted to retain the rights, and although filming was completed, the picture was never officially released.

"...in a flashback, 'Reed Richards' (Alex Hyde-White) and 'Victor Von Doom' (Joseph Culp) are college friends who use the opportunity of a passing comet to try an experiment; however, the experiment goes wrong, leaving Victor horribly scarred. 'Sue' and 'Johnny Storm' are two children living with their mother, who has a boarding house where Reed lives. 'Ben Grimm' (Michael Bailey Smith), is a family friend and a college buddy of Reed's.

"Early 1990s: Reed, 'Sue' (Rebecca Staab), 'Johnny' (Jay Underwood), and Ben go up into an...

Scroll down to see the new trailer for

Doomed: The Untold Story of Roger Corman’s he Fantastic Four.

Here’s the official press release:

In 1994, Roger Corman was tapped to produce this Marvel superhero story on a very small film budget. The film was ultimately shelved prior to distribution, but a VHS copy was mysteriously leaked and the movie became a darling of film bootleggers and, more recently, web pirates. Rumors and speculation surrounding the production have become as much a part of the lore as the film itself.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Roger Corman’s edition of The Fantastic Four and finally, all of the secrets, stories and legal shenanigans that have kept this a ‘lost’ film will be revealed through in-depth, investigative interviews with the cast and crew.

The documentary is directed by east coast Film Studies professor and independent filmmaker,...

Welcome to the first edition of a new monthly feature here on Nerdly – Back This! – where we take a look at some of the cool content taking the crowdfunding route on sites such as Indiegogo, Sponsume and Kickstarter. In this edition we’re taking a look at two very different films. The first is a British homage to 80s slasher flicks and the second is a Us documentary about a “lost” superhero movie…

If you’d like us to consider your project to feature in a future edition of Back This!, make sure to drop us a line.

Christmas Slay

Started by writer/director Steven Davis, the Kickstarter campaign for Christmas Slay is almost at fruition with, as of writing, only ten days to go in the campaign. Looking for £7000 to fund a two-week shoot in Bulgaria (standing in for the snowy mountains of Scotland), Davis’ film promises to be...

Contamination, St. Louis. second annual convention billed as our city.s first and only .Horror, Sci-Fi, and Pop Culture Convention. was last weekend and We Are Movie Geeks was there to cover all the action (and to drink). The con took place at the Westport Sheraton Chalet and Hotel in West St. Louis County. Contamination is put on by Dyer Straits Productions who, according to their website .is constantly thinking outside the box trying to bring you the best and the most unusual in Horror, Sci-Fi, Music and Pop Culture.. The guests last weekend included Tony Todd (who played Candyman!), Kane Hodder (played Jason in three Friday the 13th Films), Brad Loree (played Michael Meyers in one of the Halloween films), and the cast of the never-aired 1994 TV movie The Fantastic Four. Headline guests Eric Roberts and Norman Reedus (of Boondock Saints and The Walking Dead fame) were no-shows but...

This years line up for 'Contamination 2011' continues to grow. Check out the list of additions to the already stellar lineup below, including Tony Todd!

From the Offical Release:

Dyer Straits Productions (Dsp) announce the newest additions to Contamination 2011 The Sequel: Tony Todd (“Candyman”), Bill Johnson (Leatherface in “Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2”), “Day of the Dead” Reunion with Gary Klar, Mark Tierno and Terry Alexander, Dan Shor (Ram in 1982’s “Tron”) along with Playboy Playmate Max Wasa. These celebrities join an already impressive lineup of icons at the highly anticipated follow-up to St. Louis’ first horror, sci-fi and pop-culture convention all under one roof. The Sheraton Westport Chalet will host the event June 24th – 26th, 2011. Actor Eric Roberts and “The Boondock Saints” Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus and David Dela Rocco are headlining the event.

Horror fans will also have a “Jason” (Kane Hodder, “Friday the 13th parts 7-10”), a “Michael Myers” (Brad Loree,...