Whether Netflix’s Marvels shows, now retroactively called the Defenders Saga, are actually set on Earth-616 (or 99999) after all is a thorny issue that only gets more complicated with time. Sure, Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio are back in the fray as Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk but both characters have been very different in their Marvel Studios appearances compared to their Marvel Television ones. Plus, key characters are being recast or just straight-up ignored in Daredevil: Born Again.
In an unexpected twist, yet more evidence that Marvel doesn’t consider the Defenders Saga to be a core part of the canon is being found from the latest Fantastic Four casting rumors. As originally shared by insider Jeff Sneider on The Hot Mic podcast, a bunch of new actors are being linked to the much-anticipated reboot of the House of Ideas’ First Family, including Joseph Quinn as the Human Torch and even Antonia Banderas as Galactus (no, really).
Also in the mix is Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who is said to have been cast in an unknown role to appear right at the end of the movie, likely setting up a bigger presence in the sequel. Sneider speculates that could be the Silver Surfer. Although perhaps not a household name, Moss-Bachrach is a prolific actor of the big and small screens, having recently appeared in the likes of The Bear, No Hard Feelings, and Andor. For Marvel fans, though, he’s best known as Frank Castle’s pal Micro in The Punisher series.
Sure, Marvel has hired actors for more than one role in its own movies, like Gemma Chan (Captain Marvel and Eternals) and Michelle Yeoh (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Shang-Chi), but that generally only occurs when the performer has had a relatively small part the first time around. Moss-Bachrach, meanwhile, was a series regular on both seasons of The Punisher, so his rumored Fantastic Four casting would be great for his career, but less good for the continued canonicity of the Defenders Saga.