There is an argument that Marvel would never have flourished in quite the same way had the studio not got its casting right from (almost) the very beginning. While Ed Norton never seemed the right fit as Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk in 2008, it was the signing of Robert Downey Jr in the role of Tony Stark/Iron Man that inspired the newly Disney-owned outfit to embark on a decade-long run of smartly interconnected, far-out superhero epics that redefined the genre. Marvel made the careers of the previously little-known Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Chris Evans (Captain America), re-appropriated high-end TV talent in the shape of Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange and turned heroes of indie cinema such as Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) and Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) into bona fide saviours of the Earth. They didn’t do a bad job with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man either.
Perhaps this is why, at a time when the studio has started to flounder, it has taken its time over the casting for its new Fantastic Four film, the first to be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Bearing in mind that previous big screen appearances for the comic book foursome have been consistently appalling, it’s more than vital the team stands out from the crowd this time around.
