Marvel Fantastic Four New Movie Cast News: Selection of Kate Mara, Miles Teller, and Others Causes Controversy
The cast of the Fantastic Four reboot has been announced, and the actors chosen have been the cause of an internet storm among fans of the comics and the first series of films.
It had been previous announced that up and coming actor Michael B. Jordan (star of such films as Chronicle and Fruitvale Station) had been cast as the fiery hothead, The Human Torch. Now it is confirmed that actress Kate Mara (Iron Man 2, House of Cards) will be accompanying him as Sue Storm, aka The Invisible Woman.
There are also reports that actor Miles Teller, who co-starred with Jordan in the recent comedy, That Awkward Moment, beat out game of throne actors Kit Harrington and Richard Madden for the role of Reed Richards, the genius leader of the superhero squad. British actor Jamie Bell completes the team as Ben Grimm/The Thing, though neither have publically confirmed their roles as of yet.
The actor who will don the mask of the team's arch nemesis, Doctor Doom, has yet to be revealed.
The fan's reaction to the new cast was quick and immediate, reminiscent of the backlash to the casting of Ben Affleck as Batman in Warner Bros. new Superman movie. Major complaints include Teller (generally cast in snarky, smug roles) not being a good fit for the serious and nerdy Reed Richards. Or pretty boy Bell as tough guy Ben Grimm. There are even people angry at that Mara isn't blonde. Yes, really.
Perhaps the most vocal criticism is the predictable concern with Johnny Storm being recast as Jordan, who is black. Aside from the issue this causes with Mara's Sue Storm (the two characters are siblings), most fans seem to have problems with it for the same reason that they always take issue with any white fictional character being recast by a minority. Somehow changing a character's race ruins everything. Never mind the fact that most acknowledge that Jordan is an incredible actor.
It's hard to say how this cast will pan out. However, this wouldn't be a first time a casting decision was met with anger only to have fans hush up come opening night. It happened with Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, Robert Downey's Tony Stark and the late Heath Ledger's Joker, and you'd be hard pressed to find a fan critical of those performances. Only time will tell whether this new cast will be a success or bust.