You may remember him from: Probably best known for his role as a popular high school student gaining superpowers in breakout found footage hit Chronicle, Jordan's role in Fantastic Four will follow Chronicle cast-mate Dane DeHaan (The Amazing Spider-Man 2's Harry Osborn) in graduating from the cult superpower movie to a big studio superhero blockbuster. Given Chronicle was the film that won director Trank attention from Fox and the job making Fantastic Four, it should come as little surprise to see him bringing one of that film's stars with him. Since Chronicle, Jordan has enjoyed further success in the superhero world voicing Cyborg in the Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox animated movie, while true life crime drama Fruitvale Station gave him his first big leading role and a raft of critical accolades and awards. Undoubtedly a charismatic star with a great future, Jordan has been tipped for big things ever since his breakthrough role as teenage drug dealer Wallace in The Wire. A regular part in much praised American football drama Friday Night Lights cemented Jordan's status as one to watch, making a big blockbuster role an inevitability sooner or later, although one as a character who has spent fifty years as a white guy is perhaps a bit more surprising. Is he a good fit? Yes, pale skinned white Kate Mara has been cast as the sister of black Michael B. Jordan, a decision that has provoked confusion and occasional outrage amongst some of the comic's more conservative fans. The colour blind casting for Johnny Storm is a bold step for Trank's movie. There have been black actors cast in traditionally white comic roles before, Nick Fury (although there was some precedent on the page for that) and Perry White, but never a leading hero role. How the movie will explain the sibling relationship of two such different looking characters, or whether it will at all (the original film's Alba and Chris Evans didn't look at all alike, after all, and that was never mentioned), remains to be seen. There are plenty of possibilities, from adoption to same father but different mothers, that could explain things adequately and add a different dynamic to the way the Storm siblings view one another. In both the original narrative and the Ultimates version Johnny Storm is a character whose natural cocksure attitude means that he is the one who most appreciates being a superhero, only the Ultimates one is still a teen. Like Teller, the 27 year old Jordan has spent much of his career playing teenage characters but may be getting a little old for it now. Otherwise, though, regardless of race his performance in Chronicle alone suggests he could be perfect for the part.
