It's been announced that Spider-Man director Jon Watts has signed on to introduce Marvel's First Family into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Aside from the first announcement of a Fantastic Four reboot, details have been slim, including who may be cast. Actor John Cena cleverly implied that he'd like to be considered for the role of The Thing.
The upcoming reboot will be the third cinematic interpretation of the Fantastic Four, one of Marvel Comics' oldest properties. Despite being incredibly prominent throughout Marvel history, the Fantastic Four has not received a proper on-screen portrayal. The announcement that the team would finally work their way into the MCU could hit the mark for what's been cinematically missing.
Fans have not shied away from sharing their own personal casting choices for the upcoming reboot, with John Krasinski and Emily Blunt frequently mentioned as Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman. The fan casting was first generated far before Marvel Studios confirmed that they were to fold the Fantastic Four into their cinematic universe, and the demand for Krasinski and Blunt has grown exponentially. Cena expressed his own interest in joining in on the ensemble.
"I would consider most any-thing. I think keeping yourself open to options and different perspectives is a good way to go about life. This would simply be a thing that I would consider because I like to keep my perspective open to new things," Cena said in a video interview with Esquire.
The actor has yet to land a role with Marvel but recently made his superhero movie debut as Peacemaker in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad (2021). HBO Max has ordered a Peacemaker (2022-) series that will be produced by Gunn and stands as an origin series dedicated to the titular hero's quest for world peace. There's not much else to gather about the Fantastic Four yet, leaving the possibilities open. Peacemaker releases as an HBO Max exclusive on January 16, 2022.