Casting an All-Black Fantastic Four

The last attempt to reboot the Fantastic Four was an epic failure, marred by a bad script, a troubled production, and some terrible acting performances. Miles Teller was high on our list of worst comic book hero acting performances of all-time, with Toby Kebbell also getting a worst villain nod (let’s face it, Julian McMahon sucked too). Kate Mara displayed zero charisma as Invisible Woman, and I couldn't even tell you the name of the actor who played Thing without doing a Google search. The entire project was an unmitigated disaster, but now that Marvel owns the rights to the Fantastic Four franchise, we are expecting a new re-reboot to be announced at any moment.

Both versions of this franchise have been mortally flawed, which makes you wonder if there's a curse at play here. There was a bright spot in both adaptations, and that was the Human Torch. Chris Evans started the fire, and passed the torch to Michael B Jordan. Terrible as the FF reboot was, MBJ showed some potential. If he had the opportunity to reprise the role with a quality script and a great production team, he could hit a giant home run. This got us to thinking, what if Marvel decided to take this franchise in a bold new direction and cast an all-black Fantastic Four? 

The 2015 #FantasticFour reboot was an unmitigated disaster, one of the worst comic book movies ever made. But Michael B Jordan should have worked as the Human Torch. He may not want to reprise the role, but with a better script/cast/studio behind him, he could be fantastic!🔥🔥🔥

— Cinema Analytica (@CinemaAnalytica) February 23, 2021

Casting Reed Richards has proven historically to be a difficult challenge, as both previous incarnations have produced duds. Miles Teller wasn’t the only Mr. Fantastic on our worst heroes list, as Iaon Graffafud ranked high as well. Nailing this choice is crucial to a successful franchise, and few people could nail the role like Denzel Washington, who is arguably the greatest African American actor alive. But having said that, Denzel as Doctor Doom would also be incredible (preferably reprising his character from Training Day, “Mr Fantastic ain’t got shit on me!!”).

Since it’s unlikely that Denzel is even interested in joining the MCU, you might need to offer him a choice of roles. He may find the project even more enticing if his son John David Washington came on board. One can be Doctor Doom, one can be Reed Richards. They can decide between themselves. You could even write it into the script that Richards and Doom are father and son. That would probably require writing 2 different scripts, but it’s plausible. Though honestly, the optimal combination is probably Denzel as Mr. Fantastic and JDW as Doctor Doom. The son goes rogue. It’s a great premise that almost always works.

If the Washington family declines, I’d love to see Tupac in the role of Dr Doom. Not sure if they want to shoot the project near Pac’s compound in Malaysia, but that would be a genuinely terrifying villain choice. Kevin Feige should at least talk to Kamala Harris, who could put them in touch. If Tupac wants to pretend he’s still dead, you could do an effective CGI version and deep fake the dialogue, without actually filming new Pac footage. Carl Weathers would also be fantastic as Reed Richards, and worth considering if we can’t land a Washington.

In the role of Invisible Woman, Rosario Dawson is clearly at the top of the list, unless she decides to reprise her role as Daredevil's doctor, Claire Temple. She would probably rather play Sue Storm if given the opportunity, as that's more of a leading role than being a hero's doctor. Another option is Halle Berry, unless they plan to slot her into the X-People reboot. 

The final role to cast is Thing. It would be amusing for the Rock to assume this role, just for the irony alone, and the opportunity to crack several rock jokes throughout the film.We strongly considered the Rock for Reed Richards, but he's too perfect as Thing. Unfortunately, his commitment to Black Adam in the DCEU may prevent him from fulfilling that destiny. This is a role that should provide comic relief, and few excel better at that function than Ice Cube. It would be fascinating to see what Snoop could do with this role, but he might be too laid back for "clobbering time". Michael Clarke Duncan (RIP) would have been perfect if he were still with us. Another solid choice for The Thing would be Ving Rhames. 

As we proceed further into the 2020's, there is a greater need for casting diversity in comic book movies and Hollywood as a whole. There aren't nearly enough quality roles for African American actors and more projects like Black Panther can help reduce that inequity. Making a Fantastic 4 movie with an all-black cast is a great way to ensure the future of the genre and support social media movements such as Black Lives Matter. World building Wakanda was a great start, and we'd like to see Disney take that one step further with an all-black superhero team!