PA/20th Century FoxGod of Rock, thank you for this chance for Jack Black to kick ass, he wants to play The Thing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Tenacious D frontman is currently doing the rounds promoting Jumanji: The Next Level, the sequel to the hit 2016 follow-up starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart.
In a recent interview, when quizzed about which superhero he’d love to play in the future, The Thing emerged as a favourite.
PAThe Thing is part of the Fantastic Four, Marvel’s classic comicbook team. Made from rocks and insanely strong, he’s always a bit more lighthearted and hammy (he’d be a good pairing with Smart Hulk after Avengers: Endgame).
When asked if there was any character he’d particularly like to play in the MCU, Black told Screen Rant in a recent interview that The Thing would be a fun role, or perhaps even Kingpin.
20th Century FoxBlack said:
No. No one’s coming to mind. Oh, it’d be fun to play like an evil dude, like the Kingpin. Yeah. I don’t know. Maybe The Thing? It’d be rad to be that rock dude from the Fantastic Four.
The Thing isn’t a stranger to the big screen. In Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Michael Chiklis played the larger-than-life hero. It wasn’t until 10 years later when Jamie Bell took on the role in a rebooted Fantastic Four – which was critically slaughtered.
Kingpin (aka Wilson Fisk), on the other hand, is most revered for his TV appearances. Michael Clarke Duncan (The Green Mile) played the villain in the maligned 2003 flick Daredevil, but when a series based on the same hero hit Netflix that people really fell in love with the character.
NetflixThat’s solely down to Vincent D’Onofrio and his absolutely chilling portrayal. Would Jack Black suit the role? Obviously, there’s no way of knowing until it actually happened – but fans would likely rather D’Onofrio got the big screen treatment instead.
As for The Thing, Black would be a brilliant candidate – throughout his career, the actor has brought a roster of hilarious films to life with his infectious energy. Balancing that comedic talent with his serious chops could give way to the best Thing yet.
PAFollowing Disney’s purchase of Fox, the Fantastic Four are in development for entering the MCU, however we just don’t when or who will play the characters.
Get John Krasinski and Emily Blunt aboard as Reed Richards and Sue Storm, and you’ve got yourself a cracking start.
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After graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University with an NCTJ and BCTJ-accredited Multimedia Journalism degree, Cameron ventured into the world of print journalism at The National, while also working as a freelance film journalist on the side, becoming an accredited Rotten Tomatoes critic in the process. He’s now left his Scottish homelands and took up residence at UNILAD as a journalist.