Ahmed Best has expressed interest in playing Mr. Fantastic in the MCU's upcoming Fantastic Four movie. Marvel plans to introduce the titular superhero group in the near future, with Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home director Jon Watts set to direct. As an actor, Best is most known for playing Jar Jar Binks in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and has previously talked about the backlash surrounding the character and the impact it had on his career and mental health.

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige announced that a new Fantastic Four movie was on the way in December 2020, with only a teaser image of a blue figure '4'. While Marvel's First Family has featured in several movies by 20th Century Fox, Disney's acquisition of the studio has meant the upcoming movie will be the first to introduce the characters into the MCU. While Mr. Fantastic has previously been played by white actors Ioan Gruffudd and Miles Teller, it seems possible that Marvel could cast a Black actor in the role.

Related: Loki's Subtle Fantastic Four Reference Explained

Best expressed his interest in playing Mr. Fantastic on Twitter, responding to a tweet by writer Zaki Hasan which pointed out the ancestral line from Mr. Fantastic to villain Kang the Conqueror. The latter character made an appearance in the finale of Marvel series Loki which debuted on Disney+ this week, played by Black actor Jonathan Majors. Hasan pointed out that Kang's real name is Nathaniel Richards and in the comics is a descendent of Reed Richards, AKA Mr. Fantastic, implying that the character will be Black in the MCU. This prompted Best to announce that he was, "Officially throwing [his] hat into the ring".

Check Out the Original Tweet Here

The MCU's recent projects have indicated that the series and films will be more interconnected than ever before. WandaVision set up Scarlet Witch for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Black Widow's end-credit scene established the premise for Hawkeye in the fall. It makes sense then to assume that the casting of Kang the Conqueror in Loki will be followed through in the upcoming Fantastic Four with more representation for black actors in the franchise.

For Ahmed Best, such a huge role in the MCU would be a major career turn. After playing widely lampooned Gungan Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Best has struggled to find roles in major movies. Playing Mr. Fantastic in the Fantastic Four reboot would be incredibly redemptive for the actor, and would also be an important change to previous attempts to put Marvel's First Family on the big screen.

Next: Why Loki's Season 1 Finale Was Disappointing (But Still Worked)

Source: Ahmed Best