Thanks to Disney's acquisition of Twentieth Century Fox and its various film and television assets, the
Fantastic Four and
X-Men franchises are finally coming home to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the latter team is seemingly stuck in limbo until enough time has passed for moviegoers to forget
Dark Phoenix, chances are we'll see Marvel's First Family very soon.
After all, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige name-dropped them during last year's San Diego Comic-Con, and their corner of the Marvel Universe features some of the company's greatest villains (all of whom are now available for Feige and company to make use of).
While casting news is probably still a little way off, we can't help but wonder who could play both this iconic team and some of their most memorable supporting characters and villains. With that in mind, we're now taking a look at the actors we believe would be the perfect picks to bring the likes of Mister Fantastic, Doctor Doom, Silver Surfer, and even H.E.R.B.I.E. to the MCU!
We think this will leave you with plenty to discuss, so all you guys need to do is click on the "Next" button below to take a look through our
Fantastic Four casting suggestions...
Damian Lewis - Galactus
Galactus isn't an easy character to bring to a live-action setting, but Marvel Studios can no doubt do better than the cloud we saw in Fox's
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer!
As we're bound to get a comic accurate version of this iconic comic book villain in the MCU, an actor's likeness will be needed beneath that helmet, and we're fully on board with that being
Billions star Damian Lewis. A fan-favourite choice to take on the role of Norman Osborn, we believe he would actually be a much better fit for this shared world's new big bad.
Lewis is one of those actors capable of jumping between being extremely charming and downright terrifying, and while he wouldn't necessarily need the former quality, someone with a lot of range should play Galactus to ensure he's more than just a two-dimensional foe for this team.
Christian Bale - Silver Surfer
We've heard that former Batman Christian Bale is set to play some sort of "intergalactic villain" in
Thor: Love and Thunder, but there have also been rumblings that he'll only be lending his voice to that character. Either way, that film seems like the right place to finally bring the Silver Surfer to the MCU, and Taika Waititi is definitely the right filmmaker to take charge of that.
Bale is a phenomenal actor, and more than capable of getting across Norrin Radd's conflicted nature while travelling across the cosmos to find worlds for his master to devour.
Adding a little dark humour to the Silver Surfer would be no bad thing either, and watching the God of Thunder come to blows with the Herald would be nothing short of epic. Following this introduction, the Surfer making his presence felt in the
Fantastic Four reboot is an inevitability.
Jamie Dornan - Doctor Doom
Yes, we are seriously suggesting that the "guy from
Fifty Shades of Grey" play Doctor Doom in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Those movies are, well, pretty awful, but if you've seen Jamie Dornan in some of the other projects he's starred in, you'll know that he's a very talented actor.
BBC's
The Fall saw him play a serial killer and he was quite honestly terrifying. Charming one moment and an absolute monster the next, Dornan has all the right qualities to play Doom.
His face would be covered with a mask, of course, but we would presumably get flashbacks to his earlier interactions with Reed Richards, and Dornan could shine but in those and as the classic comic book villain from the comics. Chances are the Irish actor wouldn't struggle to come up with a Latverian accent for the Fantastic Four's greatest foe too!
Craig Robinson - Mole Man
So, you're probably wondering what the heck we're thinking, right? After all, Craig Robinson doesn't exactly scream "Mole Man," but this comic book villain is undeniably ridiculous, so getting a comedic actor to play him in what we would imagine to be a relatively minor role seems like a good idea to us.
Robinson is awesome in everything he does, and some prosthetics could easily transform the actor into a version of the Mole Man from the source material fans will be happy with.
Ultimately, Mole Man is just a man, and it's his monsters which will prove to be most interesting when the Fantastic Four clash with them. However, he still needs to be an entertaining and memorable presence, and Robinson is someone it's easy to imagine doing the villain justice.
Grace Gummer - Alicia Masters
If you've watched
Mr. Robot (or
American Horror Story, for that matter), you'll know that Grace Gummer is one hell of a talent, and someone who should definitely be on the radar of a studio like Marvel. In an ideal world, this reboot would cast a blind actress to play Alicia Masters, but if that's not possible, then Gummer would be an excellent choice.
There's just something about her which reminds us of the Alicia from the comic books, and the actress does such a superb job of conveying emotion, it's easy to imagine her falling in love with The Thing and successfully portraying the complexities of their relationship.
It would be a major disappointment for Alicia not to find her way into this new take on Fantastic Four, but it's also entirely possible that Marvel Studios would want to save her introduction for the sequel seeing as so much of the film will need to be devoted to introducing the team.
Bob Odenkirk - H.E.R.B.I.E.
If anyone can make the Fantastic Four's goofy robot sidekick work, it's Marvel Studios. After all, Tony Stark had an A.I. with attitude way back in 2008, and there's really no reason to think Reed Richards couldn't have made H.E.R.B.I.E. to help him out in the lab.
What makes Bob Odenkirk the right man for the role? Well, the
Better Call Saul star has leant his voice to a number of animated projects in recent years, including
Incredibles 2 and
Bob's Burgers. Each time, he's managed to get across a lot of humour and personality, and while he's deserving of a live-action role too, this is a "character" Odenkirk could have a lot of fun with.
Seriously, just imagine his voice coming out of H.E.R.B.I.E. as the robot bickers with Reed. If that doesn't sound like the perfect fit, we really don't know what to say to you.
Aldis Hodge - The Thing
There's absolutely nothing in the comic books that dictates Ben Grimm needs to be white (he is Jewish, but that doesn't dictate skin colour), and racists would surely be able to get over this considering the fact he's covered in rocks!
Regardless, Aldis Hodge has a lot of credits to his name, including
Straight Outta Compton,
Black Mirror, and
The Invisible Man. It's the latter he really shines in, though, as he effortlessly gets across the likeability and toughness associated with The Thing. He also has an appropriately commanding voice it's easy to imagine saying, "It's Clobbering Time!"
Chances are The Thing will be a fully CGI creation similar to The Hulk, but Marvel Studios will need an actor to take on the role, and Hodge definitely feels like a fitting choice for the hero.
Zac Efron - The Human Torch
Marvel Studios is said to be looking for a "Zac Efron-type" to play Moon Knight, and while it would be undeniably fun to see him as that deranged vigilante, we can't help but think that he would be better suited to bringing Johnny Storm to life on the big screen.
Now, it's worth noting that there's more to Efron than playing frat boys (just look at
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile), but those sensibilities are something he would need to bring to the table here. The Human Torch loves the fame that comes with being a superhero, while his immaturity is an endless source of frustration to Ben and his sister Sue Storm.
Beyond that, Johnny needs to be a likeable presence, and someone we can root for. Efron has those qualities too, and it's hard to imagine anyone else playing a version of the character anywhere near as comic accurate as this actor's version probably would be.
Emily Blunt - The Invisible Woman
It was recently revealed that Emily Blunt has met with Marvel Studios, and while there are a long list of female superheroes the
Mary Poppins Returns star would be well-suited to, it's Sue Storm the vast majority of fans (quite rightly) want to see her play in the MCU.
The Invisible Woman is the most powerful member of the Fantastic Four, and the matriarch this team rallies around. She's a good friend who supports The Thing in his darkest moments, the sister who keeps her irritating younger brother in check, and the wife who always makes sure that her husband does the right thing.
Blunt is one of the most talented stars in Hollywood today, and more than capable of getting across all those qualities in this reboot.
John Krasinski - Mister Fantastic
Who else was it going to be? The actor recently admitted that he's hoping Marvel Studios reaches out to him about playing Reed Richards in their
Fantastic Four movie, and assuming Kevin Feige isn't planning on introducing a teenage version of the team (which would be a horrible idea), then there's not a better choice to play the smartest man alive than John Krasinski.
He looks the part, actually wants to play the hero, and just so happens to be a talented filmmaker who could very easily make his blockbuster debut by also directing this film.
Since starring in
The Office, Krasinski has completely reinvented himself, and while he still excels at comedy, he's also a bona fide action hero thanks to
Jack Ryan. It would also be a unique and interesting move on Marvel Studios' part to cast the real-life husband and wife team of Krasinski and Blunt to play Reed and Sue in the MCU.