We all know we’re getting a Fantastic Four movie sooner or later. John Krasinski is a popular choice to play Reed Richards, but plenty of actors want in.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been going strong for over a decade now, and if Kevin Feige and co have their way, this is just the beginning. If you saw the season finale of Loki, you know things are about to get very interesting in the multiverse, a lot of it caused by the new character played by Lovecraft Country’s Jonathan Majors.
If you don’t want to be exposed to potential SPOILERS, now might be a good time to turn back. Otherwise, know that Majors popped up in the Loki finale as Kang the Conqueror, a genius scientist who dedicated his life to preventing a war between different universes. (The show called him “He Who Remains,” but whatever, he’s totally Kang.) One fan noted that the man who came to be known as Kang was born Nathaniel Richards, a distant ancestor of Reed Richards, aka Mister Fantastic of the Fantastic Four. Since Majors is Black, might that give Disney license to cast a Black actor as Reed when the studio inevitably brings him and the rest of the Fantastic Four into the MCU?
Doing so would be in keeping with Fegie’s recent focus on diversifying things both in front of and behind the camera. And he already has his first high-profile volunteer to play Reed Richards: Star Wars veteran Ahmed Best, known for playing Jar Jar Binks in the prequel trilogy.
The Star Wars and Marvel franchises already share a fair bit of personnel, what with them both being under the Disney umbrella — Natalie Portman and Oscar Isaac are two of the most prominent examples. What’s a little more?
When Star Wars: The Phantom Menace came out way back in 1999, Jar Jar caught a fair bit of flak from fans, and Ahmed Best was persona non grata for a while. But a newer generation of fans is much kinder to the character and actor, so this could be a good time for a comeback.
Of course, Marvel hasn’t officially announced that it’s making a Fantastic Four movie (or Disney+ show), but you know it’s only a matter of time. Husband-wife team John Krasinski and Emily Blunt are popular fan casting choices (he’s into it, she’s not), but we’ll have to wait a while to see what move Marvel ultimately makes.
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