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Spoilers ahead for the season finale of Loki.
As far as big movie franchises go, two of the most popular are Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe-- which all happen to be owned by Disney. A bunch of talent has appeared in both properties, and it turns out that Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best has his eye on a beloved Marvel superhero. Sign meesa up.
Ahmed Best provided the voice and motion capture to bring Jar Jar Binks to life in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. While he received a ton of hate for the controversial character, the fandom has recently rallied around Best. And when one MCU fan theorized whether Reed Richards aka Mr. Fantastic could join the franchise played by a Black actor, Best put name in the conversation. As he posted,
And just like that, we’ve got another contender for the role of Mr. Fantastic in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While there hasn't been any indication of the studio moving forward with the Fantastic Four, that hasn’t stopped fans from theorizing about who might play the beloved team of heroes. That includes Ahmed Best himself.
The above post comes to us from Ahmed Best’s personal Twitter, and in response to the season finale of Loki. In it we saw the multiverse take hold of the MCU, and met a new villain in Jonathan Majors’ Kang. That led to countless fan theories, including that Majors’ casting might make way for a Black actor to play Reed Richards. And Best seems interested in using his signature physicality to the beloved Fantastic Four member.
Fans can re-watch both Loki and Ahmed Best’s time as Jar Jar Binks on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.
As one Marvel fan pointed out, Jonathan Majors’ new character Kang’s real name in the comics is named Nathaniel Richards, and he’s a distant relative of Mr. Fantastic aka Reed Richards. If the MCU was hoping to adapt this aspect of the new villain’s backstory, it would seemingly make way for more Black talent in front of the camera-- specifically for the role of Reed. Unfortunately, it’s unclear if/when the Fantastic Four will join the behemoth franchise.
Of course, Ahmed Best is the only familiar face who fans could see playing Mr. Fantastic in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Perhaps the most popular candidate is John Krasinski, with some even wanting his wife Emily Blunt to play Sue Storm opposite the Quiet Place filmmaker. And while Blunt doesn’t seem too interested, Krasinski has continued to help stoke the fire of those rumors.
The next installment in the MCU is Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on September 3rd. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
