Reed Richards Choice One
Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Why him: Morgan proved in Watchmen that he can power even the most dislikeable character with charisma. So filling Mr Fantastic’s rubbery goody two-shoes shouldn’t be much of a stre… No, not falling for that pun.
Why not him: Morgan’s still not much of a household name (Watchmen is sold more on the characters than the stars), so the studio may not select him. Still, aside from the Dalmatians movies and (whisper it) King Arthur, who knew who Ioan Gruffudd was Stateside before FF?
Reed Richards Choice Two
Bruce Campbell
Why him: It’s Bruce Campbell. The chin alone should surely make him a shoo-in. Plus just imagine the fan reaction.
Why not him: Niche fan reaction, you mean. And despite his beloved cult status, he’s never quite made it to leading man level. And, charitably, the Fantastic costume would have to stretch a little more than the studio may like.
Sue Storm Choice One
Emily Blunt
Why her: She’s got solid acting chops. Oh, and Fox needs to apologise if she really doesn’t get to be in Iron Man 2 by throwing her a decent stardom-level boost. If a new FF movie really does manage to be Iron Man quality, she could be on to a winner.
Why not her: We’re not sure she’s quite right for Sue – her best mode is snark-filled, though she could be a very different invisible girl.
Sue Storm Choice Two
Jessica Biel
Why her: She combines the looks and the talent with the ability to be tough when it’s called for. And she’s got the right look for Sue.
Why not her: She’s already attempted a comic book style pic with Blade Trinity and that didn’t go so well.
Johnny Storm Choice One
Jensen Ackles
Why him: Yes, it’s one of the Supernatural lads again. But Ackles has a proven range and really needs to find something on film to break him out of the horror rut. He could handle a darker look at the superhero family with ease.
Why not him: Name recognition might again be a factor. And he’s probably a little too close to Chris Evans’ style.
Johnny Storm Choice Two
Sean William Scott
Why him: How’s this for leftfield? True, he’s never really tackled a really dramatic part besides Southland Tales, but he has the bubbly charm that Johnny calls for.
Why not him: He’s probably getting a bit old for most casting decisions on the part and the studio might see his comedy associations as more of a hindrance than a help.
Ben Grimm Choice One
Ron Perlman
Why him: He’s on the very short list of actors who can emote through a heavy suit. His Hellboy is a wonder to behold and he’s also got the grouchiness that The Thing needs.
Why not him: By the same token, he might be too closely identified by Big Red to let any casting directors consider him. And would he really do it? Only if Guillermo del Toro directs, we fear, which is less likely to happen than Tim Story getting the second Hobbit pic.
Ben Grimm Choice Two
Michael Clarke Duncan
Why him: He’d hardly need much suit to get him to the right size for The Thing and Duncan has superb range. If the film goes dramatic, he can do it. Comedic? That too.
Why not him: After the mess that was Street Fighter, the words “his agent”, “not touching this” and “barge pole” spring to mind.
