Michael B. Jordan

When it was first announced that director Josh Trank had cast Michael B. Jordan in the role of the traditionally-white Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four, there was a bit of (sadly predictable) fan backlash. It was the same sort of ignorant, unreasonable outcry we’ve endured anytime someone suggests we have a Spider-Man who isn’t white (even though we have one in the comics). Jordan has mostly kept quiet about the senseless anger regarding his casting, but the actor has finally delivered a thoughtful response.

While the first trailer for Fantastic Four left us a little puzzled, the recently released second trailer definitely made a bigger impression. We already knew Josh Trank’s take on the classic super-team was going to be a bit darker than the previous films, but the latest trailer reassured us that the reboot also has a sense of humor. But what else can we learn from the latest preview? Join us as we break down the new Fantastic Four trailer to see what clues it has to offer.

The new Fantastic Four trailer is here and after months of rumors and presumptions and, quite frankly, downright weird buzz, we are finally getting a clear look at what Josh Trank’s upcoming reboot really looks like. Unlike the previous trailer, which liberally quoted the advertising for Interstellar with its questions and about science and its shots of corn fields, this preview is a bit more traditional and a bit more action packed. Oh, we finally get to see The Thing in action.

Changing the racial identity of characters has become a contentious issue amongst fans of superhero comics and their adaptations in other media. The awful practices of casting white actors to play people of color, or of turning previously non-white characters into white characters, is all too common in movie adaptations of books, cartoons, TV shows, or even real life stories -- but rather surprisingly, superhero comics and their adaptations have mostly avoided this problem. In comics, the controversy takes a different direction. Several white characters have become non-white, mostly in movies, and sometimes in reboots. Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm in the new Fantastic Four; Helena Bertinelli aka the Huntress in the New 52; Nick Fury in the Ultimate Comics line and on screen. These are changes that agitate some readers -- but realistically, the changes don't go far enough. Superhero comics have a cultural bias towards white characters that has everything to do with their institutional history and nothing to do with what makes sense to the stories.

The likely cast of next year's rebooted Fantastic Four movie from 20th Century Fox and director Josh Trank was revealed to the world last night, causing the comics internet to crack in half this morning. (It cracks in half all the time, of course. I think it may actually come in two parts.) Miles Teller is our Reed Richards. Kate Mara is our Sue Storm. Michael B. Jordan is our Johnny Storm. Jamie

Miles Teller is Reed Richards, Kate Mara is Sue Storm, Michael B. Jordan is Johnny Storm, and Jamie Bell is Ben Grimm. At least, that's according to The Hollywood Reporter, whose sources say 20th Century Fox is close to closing deals with the four actors for its new film based on Marvel's Fantastic Four comics created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee.

Actor Michael B. Jordan, perhaps best known for his roles as Wallace on The Wire and his critically lauded leading role in last year's Fruitvale Station, is reported to be in talks to play the Human Torch in Fox's upcoming Fantastic Four film. Further, it's rumored that whoever is eventually cast to play Dr. Doom could possibly be a woman.