While there have been examples of mentors, sidekicks, love interests and villains so far on this list, there are still precious few comic book heroes in the lead roles that aren't white. That is why, on top of the potential movies for Black Panther and Cyborg, it is an impressively progressive step to see 20th Century Fox casting for the four leads of their next superhero blockbuster and not simply using four white actors. Tim Story's 2000s Fantastic Four movies already paid scant regard to making brother-sister pair Johnny and Sue Storm look remotely similar, with Hispanic-American Jessica Alba looking uncomfortable in blonde wig and blue contacts. It's arguable that Alba's staid performance would have been better without such effort going into making her physically resemble her comic book counterpart. This time around, the Storms are to be played by the even more different looking Kate Mara and Michael B. Jordan. The Fantastic Four director Josh Trank worked with Jordan on his previous superpower picture Chronicle and the Friday Night Lights star showed that he has the easy charm and charisma to work as the brash, cocky Human Torch. Jordan is a rising star in Hollywood and The Fantastic Four could be the film that really makes his name. Of course it remains to be seen how successful the film is, or Jordan's performance is in it, or whether its plot will explain why the siblings look so different, but either way in bringing a black hero to a superhero blockbuster it is a big step in the right direction.
