Why 2015’s Fantastic Four Bombed At The Box Office

Casting is a huge part of the success of any film, especially when adapting iconic characters like the Fantastic Four, as proven recently by rumors circling the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s new reboot. For the 2015 film, however, which was directed by Josh Trank, casting decisions were made that should’ve seemed ideal. «Whiplash» actor Miles Teller was chosen for Reed Richards, while «House of Cards» alumni Kate Mara joined as Sue Storm. 

For the role of Johnny Storm, Trank cast Michael B. Jordan prior to his breakthrough role as Adonis Creed in the «Rocky» reboot «Creed,» which was also released in 2015. It should’ve been a genius decision by Trank, but many comic book fans, unfortunately, pushed back against the idea of casting a Black actor in a role that has traditionally been portrayed as white. Trank later expressed that he had wanted to cast a black actress as Sue Storm, too, but faced resistance from the studio. 

As Jordan later wrote for Entertainment Weekly, «Maybe, if I set an example, Hollywood will start considering more people of color in other prominent roles, and maybe we can reach the people who are stuck in the mindset that ‘it has to be true to the comic book.’» Nevertheless, the casting was the subject of over-the-top criticism from a vocal minority of comic book enthusiasts, with Trank confessing he received death threats over it before the film had even entered production.