Superhero movies used to come around every once in a while, before various shared universes became commonplace. Years before the MCU was born with Iron Man, 20th Century Fox's Fantastic Four hit theaters, bringing some of Marvel's most iconic characters to the silver screen. While Fantastic Four's critical reception was weak, it ultimately managed to make money at the box office, and was eventually given a less than stellar sequel. Actor Ioan Gruffudd starred as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic in the films, and now he seems ready to jump into the MCU. As Gruffudd tells it,
I would love that. I just don't know, in that universe, the Marvel world, would they let me play something else? I'm sure for Marvel it was a tough decision to pick Chris to play that part [Captain America] because he'd already played one superhero, but what a brilliant decision it was, because he's wonderful. And Michael B. Jordan has played Johnny Storm and he's amazing in Black Panther as well, so there are precedents set. So we'll see. Maybe a baddie, this time? Now that I've established myself as somebody who can do that, that would be great.
Not only is Ioan Gruffudd ready to get back into the fantastic world of Marvel comics, but this time he's hoping to be on the bad side of things. Gruffudd played Mr. Fantastic with optimism and strength, so it would be fun to see how he'd do as a comic book villain.
Ioan Gruffudd's comments to Digital Spy are sure to get Fantastic Four fans excited, as the iconic group of heroes had a bad go recently. While the original two movies were decidedly "meh", they brought a colorful and comic-inspired adaptation to the big screen for the first time. The most recent attempt, however, was not so great.
Ten years after Ioan Gruffudd completed his run as Reed Richards, Josh Trank brought a new Fantastic Four movie to silver screens. While filled with an all-star cast, the entire experience was reportedly a disaster. And ultimately the movie suffered so poorly that the planned franchise was scrapped. So while the original movies might have been a little cheesy, they hold up as more enjoyable superhero movies in the end.
Now the question is: who could Ioan Gruffudd play in the MCU? I have an ultimate dream, but it's a bit far fetched. Picture it: the Disney and Fox deal goes through, and a Fantastic Four movie set within the MCU is green lit. While they'll obviously make a new team of actors, who is going to play Doctor Doom? Bring. Back. Gruffudd. Obviously this is all just fantasy and fan theory, but wouldn't that be awesome?
Ioan Gruffudd is currently starring in the Australian TV series Harrow, and was last scene on the silver screen in the 2017 horror flick Keep Watching. Be sure to check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
