Marvel's Fantastic Four comics have long been popular due to their strong storytelling, compelling family dynamics and unbridled imagination. Ever since their debut in Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's Fantastic Four #1, the team has embodied the Marvel ethos by making bold decisions and featuring complex personal conflicts and relationships. Unfortunately, they have found little comparable success on the big screen. In trying to adapt the characters, filmmakers have already burned through four short-lived animated series, one unreleased film and three released films, which have alternatively been described as "bland," "recycled" and "woefully misguided."

With the franchise now in the creative hands of Marvel Cinematic Universe mastermind Kevin Feige, who has a proven track record of success, it would seem to be a disservice to the series' spirit of originality and risk-taking to not try something new to reinvigorate the tried and failed formula. One way to reimagine the narrative for modern audiences would be to introduce Marvel's First Family as Latinx.

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Fantastic Four (unreleased 1994 movie)

Although Marvel Studios has taken steps to increase diversity in recent years, deciding to cast Latinx actors in the MCU's Fantastic Four would go a long way towards addressing the lack of Latinx representation in Marvel films to date. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, 16.3 percent of the population of the United States identified as Hispanic or Latinx. On the other hand, of the many dozens of notable MCU characters, only one that is identifiably Latinx has appeared in a feature film (Ant-Man's Luis) and two have appeared on the series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Yo-Yo Rodriguez and Robbie Reyes). A few other actors have Latinx heritage, such as Zoe Saldana and Tessa Thompson, but they tend to portray characters from other planets, and their Latinx identities do not meaningfully factor into their characterizations.

Thus, rare enough as it is to see Latinx actors on screen in any film -- only 4.5 percent of all speaking characters -- it is rarer to have their cultural and ethnic heritage meaningfully explored in a feature format. This is why making the decision to reimagine Marvel's First Family as Latinx would do wonders for the movie. The subject matter would allow the writers, directors and actors to tell a unique story that speaks directly to about one-sixth of the domestic population and one-fourth of all movie-goers, while also resonating with millions more worldwide. Films such as Disney's own Coco, which won two Academy Awards, are evidence of this possibility.

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The MCU has a history of making diverse casting choices with their heroes to positive effect. Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury, Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie and Idris Elba's Heimdall are only a few examples. These changes are made to help the movie universe better represent the "real world," and the Fantastic Four are among the few remaining high-profile properties that have not been established in the MCU just yet; thus, there is still the opportunity to make unique choices with them.

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Even while the team was at 20th Century Fox, they weren't portrayed solely by Caucasian actors. Although the first two films from 2005 and 2007 did not touch on any cultural themes, actress Jessica Alba has Mexican heritage, and the 2015 reboot cast African-American actor Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm, a change to the character that Stan Lee himself approved of. The latter casting still received considerable backlash, but part of the issue was the racial disparity between himself and his sister, Sue, played by Kate Mara. So, altering the make-up of the entire team, as opposed to just one member, and framing the story as culturally relevant would mitigate at least some of the possible negativity.

As Black Panther's Ryan Coogler said in an interview, he wanted his film to explore "what it means to be African." A film featuring a Latinx Fantastic Four could similarly address what it means to be Latinx in the current global and domestic climate without alienating other demographics, something Coogler was able to achieve with his film.

From a practical perspective, proper representation has proven to be financially rewarding for the studio, with both Black Panther and Captain Marvel earning over $1.1 billion at the box office. Going forward, Marvel is also currently working on Shang-Chi, a film featuring primarily Asian leads, suggesting a continued appetite for diversity in the MCU.

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As for who the cast could include, Disney could start by looking close to home with Oscar Isaac. Isaac's experience with franchises, like Disney's Star Wars sequel films, and his portrayal of a scientist in Ex Machina make him well-suited for the role of Mr. Fantastic. Ana de Armas, a Golden Globe nominee for her role in Knives Out, would fit in seamlessly as the Invisible Woman, while Diego Luna could bring the same versatility and verve he shows in Narcos: Mexico to the Human Torch. In addition, Edgar Ramirez, a master at portraying brilliant yet tortured souls like Gianni Versace in The Assassination of Gianni Versace, would be perfect as The Thing.

Much like the studio took a risk casting Robert Downey Jr. to headline Iron Man, the film that kicked off the MCU, or hired directors James Gunn and Taika Waititi to bring their wacky, irreverent and colorful ideas to the Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor: Ragnarok, respectively, Marvel could continue to reap great rewards on all fronts by taking a bold stand on representation with their Fantastic Four, an initiative it's already begun in earnest. At the very least, this move would likely ensure that, regardless of the final product, it would avoid the slings and arrows thrown at previous film iterations. At best, proper inclusion and original storytelling could see the MCU's Fantastic Four become a tour de force as the franchise enters a new era.

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