Michael B Jordan Talks Black Johnny Storm Human Torch ‘Fantastic Four’ Reboot Casting Backlash

Ever since it was announced that African American actor Michael B. Jordan was playing the traditionally white Johnny Storm (Human Torch) in the new Fantastic Four reboot, the internet has been in a heated debate about race. Now, that Jordan himself, has been on the internet, he is commenting on the issue once and for all.

Despite being warned against reading comments about his casting, Michael B. Jordan, had to go online to see what people were saying about him. Jordan has penned an essay for Entertainment Weekly about the issue, writing:

“I didn’t want to be ignorant about what people were saying. Turns out this is what they were saying: ‘A black guy? I don’t like it. They must be doing it because Obama’s president’ and “It’s not true to the comic.” Or even, ‘They’ve destroyed it!’

“It used to bother me, but it doesn’t anymore. I can see everybody’s perspective, and I know I can’t ask the audience to forget 50 years of comic books. But the world is a little more diverse in 2015 than when the Fantastic Four comic first came out in 1961.”

Jordan went on to add that Fantastic Four co-creator Stan Lee supported his casting, writing:

Plus, if Stan Lee writes an email to my director saying, ‘You’re good. I’m okay with this,’ who am I to go against that?

Jordan went on to add that he is ready to be the one of the people to help break the barrier:

“Sometimes you have to be the person who stands up and says, ‘I’ll be the one to shoulder all this hate. I’ll take the brunt for the next couple of generations.’ I put that responsibility on myself. People are always going to see each other in terms of race, but maybe in the future we won’t talk about it as much. Maybe, if I set an example, Hollywood will start considering more people of color in other prominent roles, and maybe we can reach the people who are stuck in the mindset that ’it has to be true to the comic book.’”

You can read Michael B. Jordan’s full comments here.

What do you think about Jordan’s casting? Are you excited for the new reboot? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom of the page.