Vegas Bets On Fantastic Four Casting Speculation
Marvel Studios sprung into action at Disney’s big investor meeting last week. With the introduction of the Fantastic Four to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the presentation showed just how mighty the media company could be when all its characters are under one roof!
President of Marvel Studios and Chief Creative Officer of Marvel Kevin Feige revealed that the Fantastic Four would finally be joining the MCU during The Walt Disney Company’s Investor Day presentation on Thursday, December 10, 2020. Furthermore, Feige announced that Jon Watts (Spider-Man Homecoming) is directing the upcoming Fantastic Four film.
Jon Watts will direct the new feature film for Marvel's First Family, Fantastic Four! pic.twitter.com/Eu26ghxbGT
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) December 11, 2020
Although many exciting and fun ideas emerged from the event, none of them were additional cast or plot details about the next movie adaptation of Marvel’s first family, the Fantastic Four.
HERE THEY ARE…DR. REED RICHARDS, BEN GRIMM, SUSAN STORM, AND JOHNNY STORM
Fans have already seen two iterations of these characters, so it will be interesting to see what Marvel Studios decides to do with them.
The first three Fantastic Four movies were released by 20th Century Fox starting in 2005. And the movies were met with mixed reviews by fans and critics alike, if you ask many fans, the most memorable parts of these movies are probably the clips of Jessica Alba or Chris Evans in their special super suits.
Photo: 20th Century Fox
Then, in 2015, Fox tried to release another installment in the Fantastic Four franchise with director Josh Trank. However, the second installment was riddled with production problems and failed at the box office with $167.8M.
Photo: 20th Century Fox20
Vegas and the Fantastic Four
Vegas-based betting site Bovada hopes to cash in on the excitement surrounding the casting speculation, and it has released odds based on which actors will play the five lead roles in Fantastic Four: Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Benjamin Grimm/The Thing, and Victor Von Doom.
Some of the names are familiar to MCU fans who have been waiting for Marvel’s first family to join the franchise for years, but some are entirely out of the left field.
Who Will Be Play Dr. Reed Richards?
The Office‘s John Krasinski (+225) is the leading choice for the role of Mister Fantastic. The actor has been a fan favorite since the first family’s film rights reverted to Marvel when The Walt Disney Company acquired 21st Century Fox in March 2019.
Photo: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images
Sports fans are also betting on what they are calling a “dark horse candidate,” Glenn Howerton (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia). And, personally, this is my pick of the bunch because the actor’s ability to do body comedy could add a lot to the part.
Who Will Play Dr. Susan Storm?
Krasinski’s real-life wife, Emily Blunt (+350), leads the betting odds to play Reed Richard’s wife, Sue Storm. Blunt – a triple threat with untapped singing and dancing talent – is one of the most prolific Hollywood actresses, and she already has a good working relationship with Disney.
Photo: Michael Buckner/Deadline/Shutterstock
If Marvel casts Krasinski as Mr. Fantastic, it seems almost sure they will cast Blunt as the Invisible Woman. Marvel likes their actors to embody the characters they play. Seeing Blunt work alongside her husband in The Quiet Place proved that the pair have chemistry both on and off the screen. Plus, if pandemic concerns are still a thing, it would reduce production costs to cast a husband and wife to play the parts.
Also on the list for Sue Storm are Lily James (+550) and Samara Weaving (+550).
Who Will Play Johnny Storm?
For Johnny Storm (AKA Human Torch), actors Anthony Ramos (+400) and Zac Efron (+400) are tied to land the role.
My pick is KJ Apa (+850) of Riverdale. Apa is well-known for his good looks, great abs, and charming personality – all qualities that are essential to the playboy celebutant superhero. Apa is also part Samoan, so casting him would add some much needed diversity to Marvel’s first family.
Photo: FLAUNT
An interesting historical note, the last two iterations of Johnny Storm have gone on to play significant roles in the MCU. Evans, who famously went on to play Captain America, portrayed the character in 2005’s Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Michael B. Jordan, who played Killmonger in Black Panther, also starred as Johnny Storm in 2015’s Fantastic Four.
Who Will Play Uncle Benjy?
English actor Stephen Graham (+450) is currently the favorite to play Ben Grimm (AKA The Thing).
Photo: Shortlist
WWE’s John Cena (+700) is also on the list as a dark horse casting decision for Uncle Benjy, probably ranking lower because of his lack of acting experience. Cena, however, has some acting experience, with roles in the new Fast & Furious movie and DC’s Suicide Squad.
Photo: Mediapunch/REX/Shutterstock
Not to mention wrestling is a great way to develop acting and improv skills! Director James Gunn said that Cena is a great improv actor, which says something because the director has worked with A LOT of actors. Not only does Cena look like a massive pile of rocks, but he might have some acting chops to boot. Could Cena be the next Dave Bautista?
Who Will Play Doctor Doom?
A lot of great actors are in the pool for the titular villain, Victor Von Doom. However, actor Giancarlo Esposito (+350) – The Mandalorian, Breaking Bad, and The Boys – is the favorite. In a recent interview, Esposito said his next step would “likely” be an MCU role. Perhaps, the Bovada bettors were paying attention.
Photo: Robby Klein
Other actors in the running for the part of Doctor Doom are Cillian Murphy (500+) and Christoph Waltz (700+). Murphy could probably handle the role as he is no stranger to playing villains in comic book movies; the actor played The Scarecrow in Christopher Nolan‘s Batman Begins.
Who would you like to see cast as the Fantastic Four? Let MarvelBlog know in the comments below!
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