Like many people, I’m sure, I was somewhat skeptical going into the new Fantastic Four movies. The two movies with Chris Evans were before I got enamored by superhero movies (besides Spider-Man) and the subsequent reboot from Fox was underwhelming. But I trust Feige and the Marvel Studios crew–Even when I don’t thoroughly enjoy a Marvel movie, I still think they’re “positively okay” with few exceptions (Eternals). All that on my mind, I definitely did not expect to get emotional over a superhero movie.
I don’t often cry during movies. Plenty of times I want to, but the tears won’t come (that’s a conversation for me and my therapist). Inside Out 2 and Moana 2 are two exceptions where my heart apparently resonated with the movie enough to ugly cry. But a superhero movie? I didn’t expect this.
From trailers, we knew going into the movie that it was going to be about the Fantastic Four being a family. We knew Sue (Invisible Woman) would be pregnant and the whole team would be invested in the new baby. They even gave us a glimpse beforehand that Galactus would have an interest in the child. What I didn’t expect was the raw emotion from the Fantastic Four’s struggle.
Over the course of the movie, Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) and his wife grappled with the idea that their child was apparently special (according to Galactus) and that they could spare Earth if they’d give their child to the big bad. However, as a father and a human being, I could easily see and feel the conflict arising between the two new parents and the population of Planet Earth. The choice to give up baby Nathaniel to save the human race was the logical course of action–one human life in exchange for billions of others. And that’s exactly what the human race wanted them to do! But his parents wouldn’t accept that.
I can’t imagine the turmoil of being asked to give up either of my daughters in exchange for anything, even the Earth. As a wise mother would, Sue summed it up perfectly though: “I will not sacrifice my child for the world, but I will not sacrifice this world for my child.” How wise a mother to find another way and insist that the people of Earth work together. All women (and men) should aspire to be like Sue Storm!However, like many men, Mr. Fantastic went into fix-it mode and tried to solve the problem logically… which we already established would be tragic. This genius man (probably smarter than Tony Stark himself) finally found a problem he couldn’t fix. I’ve been a father for over five years now and there’s nothing more humbling and fulfilling in the world. Every day my girls drive me crazy and it’s a struggle to choose humility instead of frustration. But they also snuggle with me and I can tell that they feel safe in my arms. Even as a genius, Reed Richards needed some humble pie.
My dad has said many times that everyone is an expert in parenting, until they have kids. It was true for Mr. Fantastic. It’s true for me everyday.
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