Fantastic Four : Thoughts on the portrayal of superhero moms through the character of Sue Storm.
Fantastic Four
Why does every mother have to become a martyr?
Have you seen the new Fantastic Four movie? If not, beware! Spoilers ahead.
Yes, the movie is great – perhaps the best Fantastic Four movie ever made. But one thing bothered me…
Mother’s love = death formula?
In the movie, Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) sacrifices herself to save her baby Franklin.
When the world-eating villain Galactus targets her child, Sue uses her force field powers to single-handedly defeat him. But she loses her life in the attempt.
This story is not new. Remember Bambi’s mother, Harry Potter’s mother, Lily Potter, or Queen Amidala in Star Wars – all these mothers died for their children.
The question is – is this the only way to show a mother’s love?
Did Sue have no other choice?
Sue Storm has the power to become invisible. Couldn’t she hide her child? Didn’t she have any other way?
The film also stars Reed Richards, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm – all love Franklin, but in the end, the mother is the only one who is sacrificed?
Why does a mother’s love only end in death?
I am not saying that a mother’s love is not amazing. It definitely is!
But is it always necessary to show it through death? Can’t a mother defeat the enemy with her cunning, intelligence or strength?
The good thing is that…
There is a twist in the film – little Franklin brings his mother back to life with his amazing powers.
This shows that the child also loves his mother equally. But the question remains the same – was it necessary for Sue to die?
The cast is amazing
Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm) – all have given brilliant performances.
The story, visual effects and action scenes of the film are also strong.
But I hope that in future films we will also see mothers who stay alive while protecting their children.
Because in the real world, a mother’s love does not just sacrifice, but also gives inspiration to live and fight.