He, unfortunately, faced a lot of backlash throughout the prequel trilogy era, and even beyond, and has previously shared that he suffered from severe anxiety and other mental health issues as a result of the treatment he received.
Over the years, Star Wars fans have come to develop a bit more nostalgia for the prequel trilogy — Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002), and Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) — than they had when they were originally airing in theaters.
At first, Hayden Christensen was maligned for his “wooden” portrayal of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Jar Jar’s mere existence was confusing, and some fans even hated Natalie Portman’s acting as Padme Amidala.
While we know Jar Jar Binks won’t be returning in the Kenobi series despite rumors to the contrary, it seems that Best has thrown his hat in the ring to join another major Walt Disney Company brand — the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Fans have long been theorizing about who will play Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic when the Fantastic Four make their debut in the MCU. Some even thought Darcy Lewis’s (Kat Dennings) engineer friend in WandaVision was going to be Richards, though that didn’t come to fruition.
While John Krasinkski (The Office, A Quiet Place, Something Borrowed) has been the frontrunner in fans’ minds, Best has now indicated he would love to play the iconic Marvel comics character.
Following the Loki Season 1 finale episode, in which Nathanial Richards was introduced to the MCU, Zaki Hasan Tweeted:
Given that Kang’s real name is Nathaniel Richards and he’s a distant descendant of Reed Richards, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to think the MCU’s version of Mr. Fantastic will be played by a Black actor.
Please don’t. I love your work, but I’m sure there are plenty of actual black characters you could be playing in the MCU. Why is it so hard to cast an actor of the right race to play a character? Why can’t we have comic-accurate casting anymore?
Please don't. I love your work, but I'm sure there are plenty of actual black characters you could be playing in the MCU. Why is it so hard to cast an actor of the right race to play a character? Why can't we have comic-accurate casting anymore?
Another user going by OfficialTylerThomas3000 shared his thoughts on Mr. Fantastic casting:
I don’t see them going in that direction I actually aspect reed to be the next Tony Stark like figure. Super smart, conflicted, kind of a nerdy scientist he will probably be Stark meets banner. I don’t care if the actor is black or white though. as Long as the portrayal is good.
I don’t see them going in that direction I actually aspect reed to be the next Tony Stark like figure. Super smart, conflicted, kind of a nerdy scientist he will probably be Stark meets banner. I don’t care if the actor is black or white though. as Long as the portrayal is good.
— OfficialTylerThomas3000 (@OThomas3000) July 16, 2021
ABH doesn’t think Marvel Studios will stray from the comic portrayal of Richards, but does think Sue Storm — who Krasinksi’s real-life wife, Emily Blunt, has indicated she won’t play — may be a Black actress:
Reed will still be white but Sue will for sure be black [sic]. Seems to be a common trend to race bend females characters mainly
Reed will still be white but Sue will for sure be black. Seems to be a common trend to race bend females characters mainly
Marvel doesn’t have a big history of doing that with their well known main characters. And after 2 poor versions I’m betting Feige is going to play it safe.
Marvel doesn’t have a big history of doing that with their well known main characters. And after 2 poor versions I’m betting Feige is going to play it safe.
As CinemaBlend pointed out, however, it does seem like Feige’s team might be moving in the direction of casting a Black Mr. Fantastic thanks to Jonathan Majors’s Loki debut alongside Tom Hiddleston (Loki) and Sophia di Martino (Sylvie/Lady Loki):
…he’s [Nathanial Richards] 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.
As Mr. Fantastic, Reed Richards utilizes his scientific brilliance and pliable form to make a difference in the world with what he knows, and explores the unknown to learn everything else he doesn’t.
A clumsy, well-meaning Gungan outcast on Naboo, Jar Jar Binks struggled to prove his worth throughout his life. Putting his awkward past behind him, Jar Jar left the swamps of Naboo to enter the even murkier waters of Coruscant politics, becoming a representative for his people in the galactic capital. There, his best intentions and eagerness to serve were exploited by scheming Senators and others in positions of power.
What do you think? Should Star Wars prequel trilogy star Ahmed Best join the MCU in a new Marvel universe movie or series?
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Credit: Lucasfilm
