It's been a crazy week in entertainment. Besides the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, a game changer happened in the industry, as Disney reached a new deal with 20th Century Fox. This deal's affects will be felt through streaming, TV, and film, although the latter is perhaps the most discussed following this revelation. In particular, Marvel fans are eager to see characters like the X-Men and Fantastic Four join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, an aspiration that felt like nothing but a pipe dream for the last decade of Marvel blockbusters. The latter group of heroes hasn't had an easy time on the silver screen, and OG Fantastic Four star Michael Chiklis seems ready to give it another try in the shared universe. He recently excited fans by posting a response to the deal on Twitter, check it out.
It looks like Michael Chiklis may be willing to get back into Ben Grimm's signature orange. Although it's been years, just about everyone is trying to get a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as of late, especially as Phase Three slowly comes to an end.
Michael Chiklis played The Thing in the original two Fantastic Four movies from the early 2000s. While both films shared a strong cast and the same director, they weren't exactly critical darlings. And when the sequel suffered in quality and made less money than its predecessor, the franchise ended up DOA before it could complete a trilogy. Some Marvel fans do consider this a blessing, as it allowed Chris Evans to go from playing The Human Torch to the title character in the Captain America movies.
Unfortunately the quartet of Marvel heroes didn't fare too well in their second attempt at a film franchise. The 2015 Fantastic Four movie was a bit of a disaster. Despite early excitement and a cast including Michael B. Jordan, Miles Teller, and Kate Mara, the final product was a mess that was barely recognizable as the beloved Marvel team. The set was riddled with drama, and director Josh Trank blamed studio interference for the cut of the movie.
But now that Marvel and Fox are joining forces, it should be interesting to see what happens with the Fantastic Four. With the MCU focusing more on the cosmic side of things in Phase Four, it would actually be the perfect time for the iconic team to join the narrative.
It's unclear exactly which cast would be chosen for this crossover; both film casts include actors who have already been affiliated with the MCU. In fact, it's both Human Torch actors in the form of Chris Evans and Michael B. Jordan, who are playing Captain America and Erik Killmonger respectively. While most of the cast of the recent franchise has previously expressed interest in another go as the characters, Marvel Studios may chose to start fresh with a new team. But then again, who doesn't want to see Michael Chiklis playing The Thing on the silver screen again?
We'll have to wait and see. The next installment in the MCU is Black Panther on February 16, 2018. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.
