casFilming on Fantastic Four 2 begins in August in Vancouver, and director Tim Story has let slip a couple of details to Latino Review.

It had been reported that Julian McMahon wouldn’t be returning for the sequel, leaving many to assume that meant Dr. Doom, last seen on a cargo ship bound for Latveria, also wouldn’t be showing up. Not so, Story says. Doom will be in FF2, but he isn’t spilling in what capacity, or who will be playing him. Since he’s got a metal face now it doesn’t seem like that big a deal to switch actors (even though I do love McMahon for his portrayal of Dr. Christian Troy in Nip/Tuck).

The other bit of news that he dropped, which is sure to make Fantastic Four fans pay a little attention, is that Alicia Masters – the Thing’s blind girlfriend – will have a bigger role in this film. That’s interesting because in the comics her dad was FF villain The Puppetmaster, who used radioactive clay to make puppets of people, which allowed him to control them. Seriously. Avi Arad is on the record saying that he wants The Puppetmaster to show up in a future FF film.

Personally I would make the second film’s villain Annihilus, and play up the non-super hero aspect of the team – have them be explorers in the Negative Zone, meeting up with this monster, and accidentally unleashing him on the Earth. Also, they should have Paste-Pot Pete. Please lord, just a walk-on by Paste-Pot Pete would be enough.