It’s been a difficult journey for 20th Century Fox’s long mooted FANTASTIC FOUR reboot but it finally seems like things are moving forward. After two poorly received adaptations of Marvel’s superhero family hit the big screen in 2005 and 2007, it was announced that the franchise will (thankfully) be rebooted. In July 2012 after almost three years of silence, Josh Trank (CHRONICLE) signed on as the films director which definitely seemed like a move in the right direction.
Now we’re in 2014 and the FANTASTIC FOUR are almost ready for another shot at big screen glory. The script has now reportedly been completed by Simon Kinberg (JUMPER, X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST) and casting will commence immediately with screen tests due to take place by the end of the month. Michael B. Jordan (CHRONICLE) has long been rumoured to have signed on as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch but we are still without an official confirmation. However Jordan is near-enough a sure thing for the role and is said to be testing with Kate Mara (127 HOURS) and Saoirse Ronan (THE HOST) who are in contention for Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman.
Meanwhile Miles Teller (THAT AWKWARD MOMENT), Kit Harington (GAME OF THRONES) and Richard Madden (GAME OF THRONES) are reportedly facing off for the role of the teams leader Reed Richards/Mr Fantastic. Teller even gave a hint that he may be closer to winning the role than we thought, when the actor was asked about the project his response was simply:
Yeah that should be happening in the next few weeks
Although I am unfamilar with the actors up for the part of Mr Fantastic, my personal favourite for the role of Sue Storm is Saoirse Ronan, simply because she is a joy to watch on screen and is easily one of the most talented young actresses working today. Michael B. Jordan would of course be an excellent choice for Johnny Storm and I think at this point it’s safe to say he will be playing the role. Jordan will be reading with the other contenders by the end of the month to test the chemistry of the group and cast the other characters accordingly. No word on who is up for Ben Grimm/The Thing but with the character expected to be entirely CGI, the part will likely require a voice actor only.
FANTASTIC FOUR will be released 19th June 2015 with filming expected to begin in Louisiana this summer, expect official casting announcements shortly. Check back with us for more news on the exciting reboot from 20th Century Fox and Marvel.
Source: Variety
