Stranger Things Star Is Frontrunner To Play The Human Torch
One of the stars of Stranger Things could be the Human Torch in Fantastic Four.
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Stranger Things has helped launch the careers of a few of its young stars since first hitting Netflix a few years ago. And while The Party remains in its own stage of teenage flux, other characters from the show are getting their own star turn as well. Recent rumors have Dacre Montgomery in serious talks to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With Fantastic Four getting a reboot, the actor could be joining to play the Human Torch.
Dacre Montgomery playing Johnny Storm (aka the Human Torch) would be easily the highest-profile role for the actor to date. While not officially confirmed, he is apparently the frontrunner for the role. And it’s clear the actor has been circling the Marvel Cinematic Universe for some time now. Earlier rumors had him possibly landing the role of Wolverine when the X-Men finally jump back on the big screen.
Stranger Things used Montgomery in quite the opposite way from a superhero turn on the show. He played Billy the Bully who started off with just some run of the mill tormenting in season two but really ramped up the full-blown evil in season three. His rugged, sneering machismo gave way to a sinister vileness that made him one of the primary antagonists before finally meeting his end in the mall’s food court. But even though we seemed to get a definitive end for the character, there are some rumors that he’ll be reprising the role for season four.
Montgomery very much looks the Johnny Storm part from the original comic books and Stranger Things clearly recognized the actor’s overall looks in their own show. He played the “bad boy” there, with multiple tongue-in-cheek references to Billy’s ability sway even the most faithful of Hawkins, Indiana’s housewife crowd. I mean, just take a look at that entrance in the above video.
Montgomery moving from Stranger Things to the MCU would have him following Chris Evans and Michael B. Jordan who’ve both played the character in previous film versions of the iconic foursome. Both those movies fell more than flat, so expectations are high for a reboot considering we haven’t gotten a solid version of the group yet.
Late last week, Marvel Studios confirmed they’d be bringing back the Fantastic Four to the big screen with Jon Watts at the helm. This is excellent news considering the director already handled Spider-Man: Homecoming and Far From Home to rave reviews. He’s also got the much-anticipated third movie in the franchise coming down the pike as well. Giving him the reins of this franchise reboot would probably give it the best chance of critical success yet.
Dacre Montgomery following up his Stranger Things run by playing the Human Torch wouldn’t be his first trip around the action-movie block. He also played the Red Ranger in 2017’s Power Rangers. That film version had considerably more grit than the original show but is still a far cry from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But he at least has some work in this realm.
Other casting news for the Fantastic Four reboot should continue to ramp up over the coming weeks. And we will also have to be patient with Montgomery returning to Stranger Things in the short term. There is no timetable on when that show will hit screens again. In the meantime, Dacre Montgomery’s next turn on the screen will be in an upcoming film about Elvis Presley. The guy does seem to have a knack for hitting the screen as a heartthrob.
