By Nate Bloom
Contributing Columnist
Fantastic Four, Jewish character actor stars, Groucho story
“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” opens in theaters on July 25. It’s another Marvel superheroes film based on Marvel Comic stories. “The Four” were created, in the comics, by STAN LEE (1922-2018) and JACK KIRBY (1917-94).
A 2015 film entitled “Fantastic Four” was a critical and box-office flop. Disney got the rights to the Fantastic Four in 2020. Disney set out right away to make its “Fantastic Four” movie. But it took five years to make the film. Disney was stymied by a lot of personnel changes, the pandemic and an actors’ strike.
The Fantastic Four are family members who gained super powers by exposure to radiation rays.
Here’s the basic premise: On a 1960s-inspired retro-futuristic parallel Earth-828, the Fantastic Four must protect their world from the planet-devouring cosmic being Galactus and his ‘herald,’ the Silver Surfer.
The Four are played by Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and EBON MOSS-BACHRACH (“EMB”), 48. EMB’s best known as a co-star in “Girls” and “The Bear.”
EMB’s character’s birth name is Ben Grimm, but he is best known as “The Thing.” In the past, the Thing’s skin was turned into orange rock and he is super strong. EMB’s features are very distorted as the Thing. Almost nobody would know that EMB plays the Thing if they don’t read cast credits.
JULIA GARNER, 31, plays the “Silver Surfer.” Silver can fly through galaxies and can live for centuries. She is teamed up with chief baddie Galactus (Ralph Inerson). He likes destroying planets. (NATASHA LYONNE, 46, has a role in the film. But, to date, her character and the size of her role has not been released.)
At least one of the film’s six screenwriters is Jewish — I could confirm JOSH FRIEDMAN, 58; The film was directed by MATT SHAKMAN, 49. He has a Jewish father and he’s secular.
CHUCK LORRE, 72, the creator of the “Big Bang Theory” (2007-19), a mega hit sitcom, has not been shy about launching spin-off series based on “Big Bang” characters. “Young Sheldon” (2017-2024), was a spin-off hit, and “Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage” (2024-?) is another spin-off. It was just renewed for a second season.
It was just confirmed that a spin-off entitled “Stuart Fails to Save the Universe” is set to stream on HBO Max in the next year. KEVIN SUSSMAN, 54, will reprise playing Stuart, his “Big Bang” character. Stuart owns a comic book store.
The spin-off plot is wild: Stuart is tasked with restoring reality after he breaks a device built by scientists Sheldon and Leonard. Stuart’s accident brings about a multiverse Armageddon. Three other supporting characters from “Big Bang” help Stuart save “reality.”
BRAD GARRETT, 65, is best known for playing Robert, the elder brother of Raymond (Ray Romano) in “Everybody Loves Raymond” (1996-2005), a hit sitcom that was just about as popular as “Big Bang Theory.” Garrett recently said that PHIL ROSENTHAL, 65, the creator and producer of “Raymond” would never consent to a spin-off. Brad said that he and Phil wouldn’t want to do a series without DORIS ROBERTS (1925-2016) and Peter Boyle, the actors who played Raymond and Ray’s parents. They both have died.
Right now, Rosenthal is busy as the star of “Feed Phil,” a Netflix series that follows Rosenthal as he dines all over the world and comments on the cuisines. The series began in 2018 and its 9th season was released last June. In the most recent season’s sixth episode, there was a sort of “Everybody Loves Raymond” reunion. Rosenthal, Garret and Romano dined together at a Las Vegas restaurant.
Rosenthal has a sort of companion program on YouTube. He interviews people who interest him. Last week, I mentioned his interview with MEL BROOKS. I found on this channel a fascinating interview with ANDY MARX, 74. His paternal grandfather was GROUCHO MARX (1890-1977), the famous comic actor. His maternal grandfather was GUS KAHN, an acclaimed song lyricist (1886-1941). Kahn’s hits include “It Had to Be You,” “Toot, Toot, Tootsie (Goo’ Bye!),” and “I’ll See You in My Dreams.”
Andy Marx (a photographer, novelist and musician) can tell a story. I’ll repeat one Jewish anecdote about Groucho that Andy Marx said, and next week I will recount a really good story about Gus Kahn and a Beatle.
Regarding Groucho, Andy said that Groucho had a bar mitzvah, but was not religious until the last years of his life. He joined a Los Angeles temple and he arranged that a rabbi preside over a seder around 1974. Well, the rabbi went on and on. Everyone at the seder had to suppress laughter as the frail Groucho said twice, clearly, “When does the wine come?”
Is there a “hungry” Jew alive who didn’t, at least once, think that the reading of the Haggadah (before wine & eating) was way too long? Groucho spoke for many.
