Fandemonium is about a cartoonist who meets his creations and fights an epic battle alongside them. The message, I hope, is very clear. At the end of the movie, it is revealed that the Bad Guy is a toxic fan who doesn’t like the fact that one of the comic book heroes was gender-swapped for the upcoming movie, and then learned to accept this new reality.
I wrote this movie in part to support studios like Disney who have been trying to be more inclusive in their movies by adding people of color and women into their movie line-ups. However, I didn’t realize just how topical my movie would suddenly become.
A few days ago, there was an announcement concerning the MCU’s Fantastic Four Movie, which would be featuring a character called The Silver Surfer. Canonically, the Silver Surfer is a man. He is Norrid Radd, the powerful Herald of the World-Eater Galactus. Marvel’s announcement was that the Silver Surfer would be a woman in the new movie, played by the talented actress Julia Garner. Some fans have been upset about this change. And over the past few days, the internet has exploded with angry fanboys complaining about this announcement.
It all sounds very much like what Derek says in my movie:
And you all, you,the publisher, the studios ... you are just laughing at me, because of how I love something and don't want it to change! You just think I'm a joke, huh? That my feelings don't matter?Too bad, because you ruined my childhood! Why can't everything and everyone be the way the way it was in the source material? Quickstart is supposed to be a man! You can't just change that.
My response to this, is what my hero, Brandon answers in my movie:
But the world is changing, and the movie industry needs to change with it. We'll still have the old stories, but we'll tell them in a new way that will build on their foundation for a new generation of fans. Look at them. They are still here. Ready to fight the forces of evil. That part won't ever change as long as I’m around. And that's what is important. Do you still want to fight them? Fight me? We don't need to be enemies.
It has since been revealed that the character Garnder is playing is actually Shalla-Bal, Norrid Rad’s wife who does sometimes become a Silver Surfer, so technically Marvel is not really changing anything. However, I think the message is still important. We are on the same team, and we all enjoy the same stories. I, for one, am looking forward to this new Fantastic Four Movie.
I hope you are too and see you at the movies!