After the new promo teaser and photos of the ‘Fantastic Four’ reboot were released this weekend, Entertainment Weekly shared an editorial created by one of the upcoming movie’s stars- Michael B. Jordan.
The actor touched on the issue that surrounded the decision for him to join the film as Johnny Storm, also known as The Human Torch.
According to Jordan, the Josh Trank-directed movie should be recognized as a family film that follows the story of four friends, including himself and Kate Mara who portrays his adopted sister, The Invisible Woman.
The 28-year-old actor believes that the public should be able to understand the message of the movie, which brings together a team who seeks to create unity despite struggles and unfortunate circumstances.
“Sometimes you have to be the person who stands up and says, ‘I’ll be the one to shoulder all this hate. I’ll take the brunt for the next couple of generations’,” Jordan said, while adding: “I put that responsibility on myself.”
The former ‘Friday Night Lights’ actor also recognizes such casting controversy to be brought on by racial issues.
In particular, criticisms have been made online, seemingly disapproving of Jordan’s casting as The Human Torch. These included negative comments ranging from “A Black guy? I don’t like it.” to “They’ve destroyed it!’, possibly referring to the disparity between the comic books and the upcoming reboot.
Jordan continued to share his sentiments on such casting, noting that some viewers may look at such decision to be the result of the industry meeting a racial quota or being “politically correct.”
On the other hand, he encourages the public to understand such issue as “a creative choice by the director, Josh Trank, who is in an interracial relationship himself—a reflection of what a modern family looks like today."
The new ‘Fantastic Four’ movie provides a contemporary retelling of the events that surround Marvel’s longest-running superhero team. Viewers can expect the story to focus on these four young individuals who teleport to another universe, which brings on changes to their physical forms in outrageous ways.
Inspired by the “Ultimate Fantastic Four” comics, the 20th Century Fox release highlights the ways with which the superhero team is able to control and use their new abilities together to save humanity from a former friend gone bad.
“Marvel’s First Family” will include Miles Teller (‘Whiplash’) as Reed Richards aka Mr. Fantastic, Kate Mara (‘House of Cards’) as Sue Storm aka The Invisible Woman, Michael B. Jordan (‘Fruitvale Station’) as Johnny Storm aka The Human Torch, and Jamie Bell (‘The Adventures of TinTin’) as Ben Grimm aka The Thing.
Toby Kebbell from ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ also joins the film as Doctor Doom alongside Reg E. Cathey as Dr. Franklin Storm and Tim Blake Nelson as Harvey Elder aka The Mole Man.
The Fantastic Four reboot is based on a screenplay by Simon Kinberg (X-Men: Days of Future Past) and is scheduled to hit cinemas on Aug. 7.
