What were the best parts of the Tim Story Fantastic Four movies? I think many fans would agree on Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm, A.K.A The Thing. For all of you television nuts out there, you’ll probably know him better as Detective Vic Mackey from the cop drama series The Shield. That is undoubtedly his signature role, but we comic fans should never forget him as the blue-eyed superhero, The Thing. Out of all the cast members from both movies, he had to have been the biggest standout. And if you ask me, he wasn’t the only actor who was good. As we all remember, those Fantastic Four movies ended on a rather lackluster note with Rise of the Silver Surfer in 2007. Despite that, Michael Chiklis still killed it as The Thing.
That was the last we ever saw him as the character, but it wouldn’t be the last we would see one of those cast members in a Marvel movie. Needless to say, Chris Evans would move on from Johnny Storm, A.K.A the Human Torch, and land the role as Captain America years later. This was when Marvel had finally found its footing in the movie industry and kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Chris Evans became a significant foundation of the MCU and will always have that honor. And yes, I’m willing to bet that he’ll return to play Captain America once again.
But hold on, Chris Evans did mention his first Marvel role recently. During and interview with MTV News, Evans confessed that he was open to reprising his role as Johnny Storm. In fact, he actually admitted that he would rather play that character again above Captain America. His reason is that, despite his love for Captain America, he feels like his Johnny Storm never really got his day. I think we can all agree that he’s spot on about that. And let’s agree that his chemistry with Michael Chiklis was fantastic. No pun intended.
Let’s just ask ourselves if Chris Evans reprising his first Marvel role is actually possible. I think at this point, anything is possible for the MCU. What they have done with Spider-Man: Far From Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness proves exactly that. I think Marvel will bring back just about anyone, especially since they’re diving deeper into the Multiverse. And yes, you can bet that means revisiting past Marvel movies.
Speaking of which, we know a Fantastic Four reboot is on their current slate. If they’re restarting from scratch, is it necessary for them to bring back Michael Chiklis or Chris Evans? I think the short answer is yes and no. I’m all for cameos of past Marvel cast members, but it can’t be forced. So far, Marvel hasn’t made their cameos feel forced. But wait, they actually managed to bring back Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield beyond short cameos. Then again, their impact on Marvel movies is far more significant. The point is, Marvel probably won’t stop with their cameos. However, if they’re going to bring back Chris Evans, it probably won’t be for Johnny Storm.
If Chris Evans does return to Marvel, which he probably will, he’ll undoubtedly play Captain America again. Just imagine for one minute if he did show up in the MCU as Johnny Storm. I think it would be a little confusing, especially if other MCU characters interacted with him. If they did, they would have to be MCU characters who haven’t met Cap before. Now if they met Michael Chiklis in his Thing form, that would be a different story. In fact, he can be the only old Fantastic Four cast member who can cameo in an MCU movie. Simply put, Michael Chiklis was the best out of the four, so it only makes sense for him to make the return.
Then again, why can’t they both come back? Michael Chiklis did such a fine job of making his Thing sympathetic and hilarious, especially when he interacted with Chris Evan’s Johnny Storm. Their chemistry reflected the older and younger brother rivalry/friendship that we all recognize from the comics. Heck, I could watch a whole movie with just the two of them doing their thing. If I can’t see that movie, then I can at least see that cameo of the two of them on-screen together for one final time.
Let’s not forget, Marvel knows how to turn just about every scenario into a funny one. First of all, the fans would go crazy if they saw Chris Evans as Johnny Storm once again. They probably wouldn’t even care if it made sense. It would just be such a delightful moment to see him in a Marvel movie again. And since his performance as Johnny Storm was night and day from Cap, I think fans would get a kick out of seeing him play a different kind of character. But if he’s with Michael Chiklis in a that practical Thing costume, there’s just so much Marvel can do with that. It doesn’t even have to be a long moment.
Would this make sense even with Marvel’s upcoming Fantastic Four reboot? It actually can. The team is known for venturing into the unknown, so it’s not hard to believe that they can come across variants of themselves. And I have to admit, I am curious as to what became of the old team. Did the marriage of Reed Richards and Susan Storm work out? Or maybe Ioan Gruffudd’s Reed had a meltdown and became the Maker? That could create a special kind of enemy for the MCU’s Fantastic Four and give Michael Chiklis and possibly even Chris Evans bigger roles beyond cameos. The only explanation for Reed’s downfall could be the death of Jessica Alba‘s Susan Storm. But I have to admit, that would be a hard pill to swallow.
What are your thoughts, Marvel fans? Would you like to see Michael Chiklis or Chris Evans reprise their old Fantastic Four roles? Only time will tell.
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