EDITORIAL: What The Cast For the FANTASTIC FOUR Reboot Says About Fox and Josh Trank

What does the casting choice for the Foxtastic Four say about Fox and Trank? Hit the jump to find out.

Editorial Opinion
By FanWriter97 - Aug 24, 2014 09:08 AM EST
Filed Under: Fantastic Four
Source: ComicsAlliance.com
I've been following the Fantastic Four reboot for the past year, since March of 2013, and as the time went on the cast just made me sadder and sadder. Now, with Josh Trank lying and saying that he didn't choose to make Johnny black but that he chose to make MBJ Johnny, I've had it.  My problem isn't that Johnny is black, it's that Sue is white. To me it seems that Fox and Trank are saying everything that Sue Storm is: pretty, smart, and married to the smartest guy in the universe, can only be a blonde woman, not a black woman. That's racist, saying that because Sue is pretty she can't be black.  Maybe it's because Sue turns invisible, and it would be racist to make the character that turns invisible black, but Johnny catches himself on fire. Is it not racist that the character that sets himself on fire is black? Why isn't Reed black, Miles Teller Ben, and Jamie Bell Johnny?

Before the cast of this reboot was released, I had some intrest in the film. Once May of 2013 hit, and all the rumors of the cast started appearing, I began to lose intrest in the film. It has nothing to do with Johnny's race, but everything to do with Sue's. I would still have interest in the Foxtastic Four if Sue was also black, but Sue isn't black, she is white. Trank says that changing one race but keeping the other makes only a "minor" change to the two, but it doesn't. So I've given up on this reboot, I'm just going to wait for it to fail.

This article from ComicsAlliance sums up everything really good.

http://comicsalliance.com/fantastic-four-reboot-casting-analysis-commentary-jordan-mara-bell-teller-fox-movie-marvel/
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SauronsBANE
SauronsBANE - 8/24/2014, 9:35 AM
I believe you're coming at this with good intentions...but I'm sorry, this is an utterly ridiculous thing to judge an entire movie on. A movie that literally no one knows anything about...apart from the casting decisions. What if the story proves to be an absolute masterpiece, the action is unforgettable, the character interactions are top-notch. You're going to get hung up over the fact that Kate Mara isn't black? That's going to ruin the entire thing for you? Come on.

Sure, let's just forget about how progressive and forward-thinking it was to go completely off-canon and cast Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm in the first place. But now you're going to say it was "racist" of Josh Trank to not cast a black actress as his sister? Nevermind that we have NO idea how their relationship actually plays out on screen (half-siblings, adopted siblings, etc etc).

Maybe instead of filling out a checklist or quota of African American actors and actresses, maybe the filmmakers decided to go with whichever actors/actresses fit the part the best? Maybe instead of getting hysterical over such superficial details, we actually wait and see how the movie turns out first?
CherryBomb
CherryBomb - 8/24/2014, 9:43 AM
Yeah, boring editorial about an overused argument that brings nothing no or any new opinion whatsoever.

The question was "are Johnny and sue brother and sister? Or was that changed"
He meant it's a minor change as in, instead of being biological siblings, they're adopted siblings. Not that the race change was "minor".
He's right, it is a very minor change. Adopted siblings can have just the same bond as blood siblings can do, as long as that aspect of their relationship, the sibling bond is still intact then that's all that matters.

Of course I'd prefer it if they kept Johnny white but at the end of the day, the race of Johnny and Sue doesn't matter as say, Black Panther's race does.
DrKinsolving
DrKinsolving - 8/24/2014, 9:50 AM
I'm not excited about the Foxtastic 4 at all, but from your title....

"What The Cast For The Fantastic Four Reboot Says About Fox and Josh Trank"

I was actually expecting to see some excerpts from Interviews about what the cast had to say about Josh Trank and the Fantastic 4....
EhMaybeSays
EhMaybeSays - 8/24/2014, 10:01 AM
Shit editorial.
JillyMcBeam
JillyMcBeam - 8/24/2014, 10:02 AM
Your title has nothing to do with what the cast says or thinks about Fox or Josh Trank. This is an editorial about what YOU think about Fox and Josh Trank.

But to reiterate what Sauron said, how is not casting Sue as a black woman racists? Portraying a character correctly that is 50+ years old is hardly racist. We don't know anything about this movie, so jumping to conclusions like this is just utterly pointless.

What I'm seeing is a Fantastic Four fan whose expectations are not being met (i don't know why...this movie is still in the dark) and is looking for any excuse to take his frustrations out on the movie a year before it's release date. I get you, I feel the same way about BvS, but we don't know anything about this movie (back to FF). It could be a great movie, and yet you're dismissing it for a silly reason.
DCGuy
DCGuy - 8/24/2014, 10:06 AM
umm millions of black & white couples have 1 black baby & 1 white baby....
DCGuy
DCGuy - 8/24/2014, 10:07 AM
These types of editorial make mine look like gold!
JFerguson
JFerguson - 8/24/2014, 10:08 AM
Here's where you lost me:
"That's racist, saying that because Sue is pretty she can't be black."

Not that it isn't possible, but (just to begin with) it's like saying that the 2005 Fantastic 4 movie was a bit racist when they cast the ever so lovely Kerry Washington(a black woman) as Alicia Masters(who is usually white in the comics). What I'm trying to say is that Fox and Trank are making lifelong decisions that they believe(and possibly are) efficient to the company when casting people to portray the characters. This means(similar to the black Alicia Masters) that they are solely casting based on who has the acting chops to portray these characters good(which would make MBJ a great pick for Johnny, not considering race).

And just because they chose a white person to play Johnny's sister doesn't mean that they have to fully explain in the movie whether one was adopted or not or if they are even related at all(which would be a major blow to the source material imo). But even so, biracial families(if it happens to be in the movie) really shouldn't be a racist thing, a la that cheerio commercial with the biracial family(which received a strong backlash by racist society btw). Whether Johnny and Sue are brother and sister or not, it most likely does not mean that they swapped the races just beacuse a black lady can't be pretty, but because it matters how well they can act.

And agreeing with what CherryBomb said, at the end of the day, the only thing matters is that the relationship between the characters are fully established and respected by people, for the most part. It's just how the company wants to represent the characters that they are approaching, whether they want good actors to embody the characters that are from the source material, or bad ones.

Also, the title was very misleading, as many have already said ;P
PAF
PAF - 8/24/2014, 10:22 AM
Racism is real y'all.
Alphadog
Alphadog - 8/24/2014, 11:09 AM
@DrKinsolving @JillyMcBeam @GliderMan Are you guys joking? If not then you're huge idiots. Let's see if this clarifies the situation. The phrase "What your choice of clothing says about you" doesn't mean that clothes speak.
Alphadog
Alphadog - 8/24/2014, 11:14 AM
@FanWriter97 Shut the [frick] up. When Josh Trank said that he didn't choose to make Johnny Storm Black but he chose to make Michael the human torch he was saying that he cast the best actor for the role and Michael despite his race is one of the best possible choices for the role. He didn't lie you idiot. The same case goes for him choosing Kate Mara as Sue Storm. He didn't choose to make Sue white, he chose Kate as the best actress for the role and she happened to be white. And in your last phrase it shouldn't be really good, it should be really well.
DrKinsolving
DrKinsolving - 8/24/2014, 11:56 AM
@Alphadog

The phrase "What your choice of clothing says about you" doesn't mean that clothes speak.

^^ It depends.... Fashion Speaks!! haha



Ignition
Ignition - 8/24/2014, 12:57 PM
This is a weak analysis or argument or whatever you're calling it. Not to mention it is in response to a tweet from a fake account. The funniest thing about all of the backlash is the faux outrage over Sue not being black now. Nah. We know what you're really upset about.
Alphadog
Alphadog - 8/24/2014, 1:12 PM
@GliderMan If it was a joke than it could've been more clear. If it wasn't then I unederstand tat you were distracted but you guys should've understood the title after a few seconds.
@DrKinsolving Dammit you screwed my explanation.
kong
kong - 8/24/2014, 1:44 PM
What does the cast say about Josh Trank? That he worked with him on a movie. Nothing else dumbass.
Starlord616
Starlord616 - 8/24/2014, 1:56 PM
So does anyone else know there's such a thing as "mixed twins." It's when multiracial families have twins that are born with different color skin (ex: one black, one white). Maybe that's the route Trank is going for?
case
case - 8/24/2014, 2:17 PM
This is really great. Well thought out and well put together. You should definitely take up writing full time.
TucksFrom2015
TucksFrom2015 - 8/24/2014, 2:38 PM
@AlphaDog notice how you said "best for the role" and not "best for the character" because lets face it, they weren't chosen for their looks. Josh Trank even instructed Kate Mara not to read comics and just go by the script, his script. I think that tells us a lot more about what kind of film to expect than this garbage editurdial.
Alphadog
Alphadog - 8/24/2014, 2:45 PM
@GliderMan Ok so I'm just going to go with I have a disciple.
@case I hope that's sarcasm.
@HypeExMachina Well the point was to choose a good actor. The looks are a plus not the main thing. I don't care that if the actors didn't read the comics because the thing is that they would pick up some stuff from the comics but they still wouldn't get a feel of what the characters would be unless they worked with the director because it's obvious that the movie is going to have a very unique atmosphere that you won't find in the comics. That isn't disrespecting the comics, it's making a good movie.
Alphadog
Alphadog - 8/24/2014, 2:52 PM
Actually forget what I said above HyperExMachima. You're right about the movie being very different from the comics but I myself don't really have a problem with most adaptations divianting from the comics as long as they are good. There is something that you consider though which is that this like many other adaptations is going to explore different things than the original material. They're exploring the origin and the popular demographic's relationship with these archetypes.
TucksFrom2015
TucksFrom2015 - 8/24/2014, 3:53 PM
It worked for Bryan Singer's X-films to avoid comics, it does put the directors vision at the forefront. But the way these actors describe it as gritty, grounded, human, not larger-than-life, plus your first comment makes it sound like a Fantastic Four parody, like The Incredibles or Zoom. But then your second comic makes it sound like it could be a winning formula, maybe Josh Trank told his actors they're in a grim and desolate Nolan-ized world, when in reality it all looks ridiculous; Kate and Miles have no chemistry, they painted Thing the wrong color, the Human Torch looks too scary for kids. maybe all the conflicting tones will cancel each other out?
TucksFrom2015
TucksFrom2015 - 8/24/2014, 3:55 PM
Maybe its a satire of Marvel's The Avengers

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fantastic_four/news/?a=90099
NovaCorpsFan
NovaCorpsFan - 8/24/2014, 4:29 PM
But that Josh Trank Twitter account turned out to be fake, sooooo.... Your argument is invalid.
Alphadog
Alphadog - 8/25/2014, 12:48 AM
@Scorpion8125 You ignorant bastard. Those are a bunch of lies. Michael has proven to be a great actor dispite what you say and do you have any idea who Jamie Bell is? He most certanly does not have a 90210 vibe. Why do you call them hipsters exactly? Is that you definition for being young? Miles Teller is the closet to being a hipster but even he hardly fits that description. Tons of movies didn't call the main character by their name. I can dispute that by saying that the x-men movies also had that reputation and the previous three movies have restored that. Plus Josh Trank has already made a cool movie about guys with superpowers. Wait until the movie to judge that last part.
MightyZeus
MightyZeus - 8/25/2014, 12:50 AM
I'm just waiting to see some footage or even a trailer. The Thing looks great, i don't mind Jamie as an actor and Toby Kebbell as "Koba" in Dawn of the Apes was amazing, i loved his performance.

All i care about is if the Fantastic Four is going to be a good movie even though the film could be different from the F4 comics.
Interestein
Interestein - 8/25/2014, 7:32 AM
This article is garbage, NOTHING has been revealed from this film, and the amount of shit it gets is ridiculous. You're a fool and a racist if you judge a movie on one characters different race. Trank wasn't [frick]ing lying you tool. Someone delete this article, this guy is a moron.
JillyMcBeam
JillyMcBeam - 8/25/2014, 7:35 AM
@Alphadog

Whoa big boy here. Why don't you come over to my place, and I'll show you what a good night is all about.
Alphadog
Alphadog - 8/25/2014, 11:43 AM
@Scorpion8125 No it's guys like you who allow any jackass to insult people on the internet and disturb intelligent online communities. The guy insulted a guy for his work when he already obkectably proved to be good and has been aknowledged by many people. He called Jamiw Bell a hipater proving that he has no understanding of the word or that he is a troll. These are the lies that he told I call him out and you say that I'm the one who acted badly? No you are defending aomeone just because of the political correct mentality that has infested Americ.
Alphadog
Alphadog - 8/25/2014, 11:50 AM
Stop with the bullshit
Alphadog
Alphadog - 8/25/2014, 12:31 PM
@Scorpion8125 I thought that the penultimate comment I wrote was to someone other than you and you responded instead of them.
Alphadog
Alphadog - 8/25/2014, 12:34 PM
Try to read my other comment in a way that it makes sense by ignoring the part about you defending someone and adjusting the rest acordingly.
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