Over the past six months, Jessica Alba has spoken to MTV News three times, each time insisting that super spawn Franklin Richards was her preferred choice for any “Fantastic Four 3” storyline.

But don’t clink your glasses or hand out your cigars quite yet. Thing is, well, the Thing. Maybe somebody should have told Uncle Ben?

“That’s … interesting,” “F4″ star Michael Chiklis said, a wry smile across his face when we recently told him of Alba’s wishes. “She never said that to me. I didn’t know she felt that way.”

It would be hard for him to know that, Chiklis confessed, considering he hasn’t spoken to anyone involved with the film for quite some time.

But, then, there’s something else at play here too. While Reed, Susan, Johnny and Ben don suits to become Marvel’s first family of crime fighting, sacrificing individual glory for the sake of the team, the actors who play them, of course, all want to be front and center when it comes to filming those stories. Get Franklin in there and Mrs. Fantastic is suddenly in there too. A lot.

And for Chiklis?

“For selfish reasons, I would love to see Puppet Master happen, obviously,” he enthused, imagining the possibilities of a Ben Grimm-centered flick. “For those of you who know what I’m talking about, it would really tie in Alicia’s character and mine. It’s a great story line for the Thing.”

Is it ever. Able to control people using radioactive clay, the Puppet Master is a diabolical villain and occasional nemesis to the Fantastic Four … who just so happens to be the father of Thing’s blind girlfriend, Alicia Masters.

But, either way, Chiklis isn’t holding his breath, telling MTV News that he’s glad for the break from the blue spandex and is in no hurry to return.

“I’m not gonna call the guys like, ‘Hey, what are we doing?’ ” Chiklis said. “I’m kinda moving on and doing other stuff, which is great. [Another 'Fantastic Four' movie] is sort of on backburner mode for a while.”

So which one is it, MTV fans? Franklin Richards or the Puppet Master? Everything’s on the table for “Fantastic Four 3.” Sound off on your choices below.