When rumors began to circulate that the Fantastic Four would get a reboot, many Marvel fans were excited. However, the recent casting of Michael B. Jordan has some folks up in arms. Now, the young actor responds.
Having a thick skin is a necessity in Hollywood, and luckily Jordan was prepared for a bit of an outcry regarding his new role. “It was expected. You kinda know going into it that people are used to seeing something one way, it’s a continuity thing more than anything. People don’t like change too much. But annoyed? Eh, you just kinda accept it, it is what it is. You can’t make everybody happy. You just gotta accept that and know. I’m an actor, I have to do my job.” He says.
While the “out of the box” casting of Jordan in the upcoming film is certainly a change, it’s not unprecedented. African American actors taking over roles previously occupied by white leading men often times ginn up headlines in the press (a sad but true fact) with examples like Will Smith in Wild Wild West or even more recently with Lawrence Fisherburn doing a fantastic job in Man of Steel as Perry White.
In the end, Jordan feels it’s all about having fun, which is exactly what he intends to do. “…To play a superhero? That’s dreams coming true. It’s not going to be hard. It’s going to be fun to kind of show a side of me that I don’t really get to show on screen, to be a little bit lighter, funnier, just more personality. It’s going to be fun.”
The Fantastic Four re-launch will hit theaters on June 19 th .