Hugh Jackman's Wolverine Had An Odd Fantastic Four Cameo Most Marvel Fans Missed
The 2005 film adaptation of Marvel's Fantastic Four was not the first failure for the franchise and regrettably not the last, either. From removing everything that made Dr. Doom cool to the strange whitewashing of Jessica Alba, "Fantastic Four" was a huge stumble for the brand. But whatever missteps the film took, viewers were blessed that one particularly cursed scene never made it to the final cut. A deleted scene for "Fantastic Four" shows a crossover with "X-Men" that no one wanted or asked for.
As Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd) and Sue Storm (Alba) discuss their relationship in front of the water, Mr. Fantastic describes the ways he isn't good enough for Storm — including the fact that he doesn't resemble the classic interpretation of a strong man. Using his stretchy abilities, Reed manipulates his face to the picture of masculinity: Hugh Jackman. Played for laughs, this bizarre scene of Reed transforming into Wolverine is a way to tentatively unite the Marvel universe of the early aughts without committing to an official cameo. But with the jarring animation and stilted dialogue, removing the scene was for the best.
Reed can use his abilities in unexpected ways
As ridiculous as it is to have a visual mashup of Ioan Gruffudd and Hugh Jackman, Reed utilizing his powers this way isn't entirely unheard of. In 2015's "Fantastic Four," Reed (Miles Teller) uses his powers with a similar result. After the horrifying realization that he was responsible for turning Ben (Jamie Bell) into a rock monster, Reed flees and becomes a fugitive. While on the run, he hides his identity by stretching himself into a new face to avoid detection. This version even features more subtle implications of his power. In flashbacks, Reed is heavily featured with glasses. But as soon as he gains his powers, he never needs them again, implying he could stretch his retinas to accommodate his vision.
Josh Trank's film may have delved into the body horror aspects of Reed's power, but it makes sense within Marvel canon. Historically the Fantastic Four has some of the more otherworldly concepts in Marvel and seeing Reed unable to maintain a normal body is not the strangest thing to exist. With the team finally entering the MCU in an official capacity, now is the time more than ever to delve into the stranger aspects of the comic. With Kevin Feige's plans to go in a new direction in the upcoming MCU film, using the weirdness of the Fantastic Four could be to its benefit.