The Josh Trank-directed “Fantastic Four” reboot hits theaters in ten months, and fans haven’t even seen an official photo of the newly assembled team. Since the movie is shrouded in such a thick cloak of secrecy, we jumped at the opportunity to find out as much as we could from the new Mr. Fantastic, Miles Teller.
When Teller sat down with us to talk about his new film “Whiplash,” he also filled us in on how he ended up in the role of Reed Richards.
According to the actor, Michael B. Jordan joining as the Human Torch was the very first hire, due to his previous working relationship with Trank on “Chronicle.” The decision has definitely gotten some backlash by race-obsessed fans on the web, but Teller doesn’t see the point. “I think it’s great. It is a big thing,” he said. “You’re changing the race of a character. It’s like, ‘Why couldn’t the Human Torch be black?’”
Even though he came on after Jordan, Teller still met with Trank a year before production started, supposedly the only person to do so for the role, but it took some effort to win over the studio.
“It took a lot of convincing. For me with Reed Richards, I know Josh really had to [pull for me],” Teller said. “Josh did for all of the characters. For Jamie, he really vouched for [him]. For Mike, he was like, ‘This is my guy’ from the bat. He was very specific on who he wanted to play these characters. I was his guy for it.”
But what about Toby Kebbell, the guy who stole “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” and is taking over the role of Doctor Doom? He’s got Teller’s stamp of approval.
“I think people are really going to dig what he did with it,” Teller said. “He’s just a good actor.”
“The Fantastic Four” opens in theaters on August 7, 2015.
Kevin P. Sullivan
Writer/editor for MTV. If it involves cowboys, spies, or hitmen, I’m there. All three would be ideal.
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