The MCU is home to millions of devoted fans, and every now and then, rumors come into play. Whether or not there’s any weight to these stories is often discovered later, but the fans can’t help but draw up their conclusions regardless.
Penn Badgley is currently in the MCU hot seat as rumors are swirling of the Gossip Girl star being in talks with the studio to front the upcoming Fantastic Four film as none other than the stretchy man himself, Mister Fantastic. Naturally, responses have been mixed, but one that’s stood out amongst them all is the hilarious fan casting of his Gossip Girl co-star Blake Lively as Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman.
Both stars have yet to take on any superhero roles in their respective careers, although Lively starred in the Green Lantern live action adaptation (while the movie has its flaws, fans can at least find joy in the knowledge that she met her future husband Ryan Reynolds on set).
Now with the mini Gossip Girl reunion talk, we’re wondering what the rest of the teen drama’s cast will look like if by some miracle, they’re all tapped to star in Fantastic Four.
Penn Badgley (Mister Fantastic / Reed Richards)
While it’s pretty obvious that Badgley is a solid actor, and has earned numerous accolades for his portrayals, he’s yet to take on a role like that of Mister Fantastic. If the rumors do prove to be true, it would be a brilliant way for the actor to display the breadth of his acting chops and deliver a performance that will score him a ton of Marvel fans.
Blake Lively (Sue Storm / Invisible Woman)
Blake Lively’s fan casting as Sue Storm was born out of a strong desire to see Dan and Serena in the same room again, and it would be hard to blame anyone. If judging by physical appearance, Lively would indeed fit the role, and she’d probably do it justice too. The actress has taken on a wide range of roles in her career, and Sue Storm will sit comfortably within her repertoire of roles.
Chace Crawford (Human Torch / Johnny Storm)
Who better to take on the charming, thrill-seeking Human Torch than Chace Crawford? From his suave portrayal of Nate Archibald in the CW series, to his turn as a superhero in The Boys, the Johnny Storm role seems right in his wheelhouse. Also, they both have piercing blue eyes, and are an inch apart in height — it’s a match made in fan heaven.
Ed Westwick (Doctor Doom)
The British actor starred as the intelligent and manipulative rich teen, Chuck Bass, and the character shares a couple of similarities with the villainous Doctor Doom. Both characters may have several antagonistic qualities, but have stepped up to the plate a few of times, making them anti-heroes in their respective worlds. Surely Westwick could bring his own unique spin to the masked genius.
Leighton Meester (Crystal)
It would be a delight if the upcoming Fantastic Four sheds light on the other brilliant women on the team. Take Crystal, an Inhuman with some seriously enviable powers — she can control the four elements: earth, wind, fire, and water. She’s a formidable superhero and can stand with the best of them. Leighton Meester’s role as the no-nonsense Blair Waldorf makes her a worthy actress to take on the role.
Connor Paolo (Silver Surfer)
Paolo should have no problem playing the moody and lonely Silver Surfer, as his character Eric had a lot of personal issues of his own, and was often away from the heavy drama of his sister Serena and her friends. Silver Surfer is also very compassionate towards those he cares about, something Paolo’s Eric could relate to.
Kevin Zegers (Thing / Ben Grimm)
The Canadian star brought the role of the spoiled Damien Dalgaard to life. There’s not a lot of depth to his character, but it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to have him as the lovable Thing. After all, if Jamie Bell could portray the superhero in the 2015 reboot, pretty much anyone can thanks to motion capture technology.
Michelle Trachtenberg (Medusa)
Queen of the Inhumans, Medusa is another important character in the Fantastic Four comic books, and no other cast member of Gossip Girl would fit the role better than the talented Michelle Trachtenberg. If there was any girl the Upper East Side feared more than Blair Waldorf, it was the conniving Georgina Sparks. Trachtenberg would no doubt excel in the role of the thieving Medusa, plus who wouldn’t want to see her with all that long, red hair?
Okay Marvel Studios, get to casting!