Stretching powers in live action: gross or cool?
We’re not going out on a limb to say this: Every example of super elasticity (also known as “stretching” powers) in live-action media falls into one of three categories — gross by accident, gross on purpose, or actually cool. While stretching powers can look awesome in comic books or in animation, it’s very difficult to make them look cool in live action due to all the… skin. This is just science, as Reed Richards would tell you.
With Ms. Marvel now streaming on Disney Plus, what better time to revisit the storied history of superpowered beings stretching their bodies in all sorts of odd ways? Kamala’s powers in the show are quite different from her powers in the comics, but some elasticity elements still carry over.
At the risk of sticking our neck out, Polygon’s team of expert elasticity scientists have categorized the following 11 examples of live-action super-stretchers. Enjoy.
Truthfully, I was skeptical when I found out the Disney Plus show would be diverting a bit from Kamala’s comic book powers. But as we’ve seen many, many times before (and as you’re about to see below): Most of the time, stretching skin in live action just looks really gross! Going instead with a starry, crystallized aesthetic for her powers helps build a layer of removal from stretchy skin, and still allows Kamala’s embiggened limbs an opportunity to shine. —Pete Volk
Verdict: Actually cool!
Of all the much-maligned Fantastic Four adaptations, the 2005 one is probably the most “fine.” Attempting to follow the goofy but earnest path of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man franchise (but lacking in its strong character themes), Fantastic Four (2005) isn’t sacrilegious so much as just kind of boring. And I would argue that it captures the stretchy comic book
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