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The last time we spoke with Don Payne, it was just before his screenwriting debut (My Super Ex-Girlfriend) hit the multiplexes. Since that time he's been hard at work as a writer/producer on The Simpsons, finishing up his screenplay for Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and bracing himself for a powerful barrage of fanboy nitpickery. So when I spoke with Mr. Payne about spilling some Fantastic beans for the Cinematical readers, he said "Hey, why not open the floor to some questions from everyone?" And so we did. Several readers followed the instructions carefully and sent in some very solid questions. So here they are!


Q: Will Victor Von Doom / Doctor Doom be more like the comic book version this time? Two major shortcomings of the movie version was the tepid romantic triangle with Sue (which never occurs in the comics) and the business mogul backstory that was almost exactly like Norman Osborn's from the first Spider-Man movie. Will Latveria at least be mentioned?

A: Doom is going to be less like the Norman Osborn-esque billionaire and more like the Dr. Doom we all know and love -- with a scientific mind that rivals Reed's. While you can't just ignore how the character was set up in the first film, I think we're getting much closer here to the Doom in the comics. Personally, I would love to see him stride into the U.N. in full armor as ruler of Latveria in a future film.

I don't want to spoil anything Latverian, but we DID see his body being shipped there at the end of the first film. As far as the romantic triangle from the first film goes, that storyline is over. There is no reference to it in this movie.

Q: The trailer seems to indicate Galactus' energies were responsible for the storm that gave the Four their powers. Is this the case? Was this inspired by the Heroes Reborn run, or just something that seemed natural?

A: In my mind, there is mysterious, matter-altering, cosmic "stuff" in the universe which was present in both the storm which hit the FF in the first film and the energy that Galactus wields. However, that's not explicitly stated in the movie -- other than a line where Reed says the cosmic radiation causing anomalies around the world is "not unlike" that which gave the FF their powers. But the cosmic event in the first film and Galactus are otherwise completely unrelated. It was not inspired by the Heroes Reborn run. (But that was a fun run.)

My Super Ex-Girlfriend is a fun little flick. It's not flawless and it sure isn't brilliant, but it offers a clever spin on some age-old rom-com conventions, delivers a colorful zing of flashy super-heroics, and showcases a pretty fantastic cast of comedic actors, all of whom are clearly having some fun here. Basically, if last summer's Sky High tickled your inner comic geek while offering a few unexpected chuckles along the way, there's no good reason you shouldn't find something to like in My Super Ex-Girlfriend. If you're looking for a light little confection for you and the boyfriend, you'll find unisexual chuckles aplenty. And if there's one faction of movie fans who should absolutely not miss this movie, it's those loyal members of the Uma Thurman Fan Club. Because she's pretty damn great in this movie -- even if she won't get much credit for the performance.

Imagine a comedic take on Fatal Attraction, only the jilted woman is a little less psychotic and a lot more superhuman. By day she's Jenny Johnson, a semi-frumpy Normal Jane who works in an art gallery. By night (mostly) she's G-Girl, the high-flying, sonic-booming super-heroine who's always there to save the day night!. But hey, even the most harried gal with two hectic careers needs a little romance, right? And that's where Matt Saunders (Luke Wilson) comes in.

Fans of the screenwriting trade might be unfamiliar with Mr. Don Payne -- but that's about to change. After slaving away on a variety of ill-fated sitcoms, Don got his big break when he landed a sweet gig on the writing staff of The Simpsons. While hard at work helping to concoct new scenarios for everyone's favorite Springfieldians, Don still found the time to bang out a screenplay that attracted a lot of interested glances throughout Hollywood. That screenplay was called Super Ex (which has since been lengthened to My Super Ex-Girlfriend), and it not only attracted interest from Regency Enterprises, but also the attention of stars Luke Wilson and Uma Thurman -- in addition to veteran comedy expert Ivan Reitman. And with his very first movie poised to hit the screens (on July 21), Don landed an assignment to pen next summer's Fantastic Four 2, a project that the Marvel maniacs are keeping a very close eye on.

Don was kind enough to sit down and have a lengthy chat with yours truly (and on his birthday, no less!) to share some info on how The Simpsons gets made, how he penned the world's first superheroine rom-com, and how he hopes to be part of a reinvigorated Fantastic Four franchise. And here's how the conversation went down.