It looks like I’m all about mongering some rumours today. Although, word on the street is that this one may just be a tad bit closer to truth than some other fan-wishes.
We’ve already heard that Chronicle and Fruitvale Station star (and Andrew Garfield’s man crush) Michael B. Jordan was possibly being eyed to play the role of Johnny Storm aka The Human Torch in Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four reboot, and there have been some reports that Girls actress Allison Williams could be bending some light alongside him as Sue Storm aka Invisible Woman.
So with that pair of young, up and coming talent, we really shouldn’t be surprised at the news that Miles Teller is rumoured to be the favourite to play Mr Fantastic himself, Reed Richards.
The story comes from The Wrap’s Jeff Sneider, who apparently has some really good sources saying that Teller – who recently upgraded from raucous teen comedies like Project X and 21 and Over to garner extensive critical acclaim in James Ponsoldt’s film festival darling coming-of-age tale The Spectacular Now – is Trank’s top choice for the role of the stretchy, brainiac leader of the Fantastic Four.
Sneider does point out that while it’s still very early days on Fantastic Four – the script for the 2015 production is yet to be written – Teller has apparently been meeting with Trank about something.
Now I know that for some of you, the choice of Teller for Reed Richards – purely coming from a resemblance angle here – is not exactly an obvious one, but that’s because you’re probably thinking about the normal – as we geeks call it – Marvel 616 version of the character that you’re used to: the older gentleman with the white streaked hair.
But in Marvel Comics’ “Ultimate universe” – an alternate timeline reflecting more modern sensibilities, and which heavily inspired the look of Marvel Studios’ own cinematic ensemble – Reed Richards and his three cosmically radiatedcompadres are still young men and women, and Teller is actually a rather inspired choice for this version of the character. He has shown just the right level of nerd, joker and leader in his roles thus far, that would actually make him a very good pick.
Fantastic Four has tons of cinematic potential, despite the decidedly lackluster previous two film offerings we’ve already had, and this could turn into a huge franchise for Fox if done correctly. And I certainly wouldn’t be averse to Teller *cough* stretching *cough* his thespian muscles on screen in a number of superhero movies.
Last Updated: August 6, 2013
