So, why shouldn’t the Chronicle actor have flame powers from space? That’s the question that I ask. Recently, it was announced that Michael could be playing as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch in the Fantastic Four film reboot. The comments I usually see on here when there’s a subject about this casting is that “The Human Torch shouldn’t be black, he should be white.” As a passionate comic-book reader, I feel as though Johnny Storm is a character in which race or ethnicity doesn’t matter. That being said, I wouldn't mind seeing Michael B. Jordan playing as Johnny Storm in the film, I actually think he’s a pretty great choice. Two films that I saw Michael in were Red Tails and Chronicle and if you were to ask me, I think he gave a solid performance for both films. Usually, I feel as though a character’s race can’t be changed unless they have a specific trademark, attribute, or backstory. For example, most of the people counter-attack if Michael were to play Johnny Storm by asking “What if Black Panther was white?” Well Black Panther was the first black superhero in mainstream American comics to ever be created, his name preludes to the black revolutionary socialist organization known as The Black Panther Party, and also he’s part of a tribe in Africa, so that argument is beyond invalid. What makes Johnny Storm unique? His blonde hair, blue eyes, and white skin? Or is it the fact he has the ability to flame on as a literal human torch? And it may seem like it, but this argument isn't all about race, it’s about acting skills and having the right physique.
Michael is a pretty fit actor and has demonstrated his level of acting skills to match the persona of Johnny Storm. Was Michael B. Jordan not charismatic as Steve Montgomery in Chronicle? Josh Trank could have suggested Dane DeHaan or Alex Russell for the role of Johnny Storm, but he saw something in Michael, something that gave him the idea that he would be an excellent Johnny Storm. There are many actors out there who can be just as good of a Human Torch as and maybe even better than Michael B. Jordan, but regardless, I feel as though he is a very talented actor and I think he would be great for the role as Johnny Storm.