Photos of Mila Kunis with Fantastic Four director Matt Shakman have sparked speculation she may be up for the role of Sue Storm, aka Invisible Woman.
Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four have been described as some of the "big-get roles" of the year that many talent agencies are trying to land their clients. Casting for the MCU reboot is currently in the "early stages," according to director Matt Shakman, ahead of the expected late 2023 or early 2024 production start.
Fan casts and rumors have been running wild across social media, with most of them pointing toward the male lead in Reed Richards. Although one of the other important roles going comes with Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, who will obviously be the female lead of the flick and a key player for the MCU going forward.
Sue Storm has previously played by Jessica Alba and Kate Mara in past movies, but now the role is back up for grabs. Emily Blunt has been one of the most popular names thrown around, especially after her husband John Krasinski's Reed Richards cameo, although the actress insists she has heard nothing.
Is Mila Kunis Playing Fantastic Four's Sue Storm?
Daily Mail recently shared photos of Fantastic Four director Matt Shakman sharing a coffee with Friends with Benefits star Mila Kunis in LA. With the MCU flick currently in the midst of casting Marvel's First Family, their meeting has spurred speculation that the actress may be in line to play Sue Storm/Invisible Woman.
The pair's Hollywood meeting comes just days after Shakman addressed the many Fantastic Four casting rumors circulating the internet, confirming the team is "early in [their] process" of finding their leading four:
“All the casting stuff you see is just rumors. We are early in our process there. We have nothing to announce right now, and certainly, when we do we’ll let you know.”
Back in 2018, Kunis addressed the possibility of doing a superhero movie in a sit-down with MTV during the press tour for The Spy Who Dumped Me alongside co-star Kate McKinnon. The Family Guy actress didn't seem so interested because those projects tend to involve "a lot of working out:"
"No, that's a lot of working out. Yeah, lots of those people are hungry, and you have to be because you have to be in shape and I don't want to be hungry for 10 years."
After McKinnon pointed out how Kunis already had to do that for Black Swan, she pointed out how that was only for "like six months," while a long-term superhero franchise commitment involves doing that "nonstop:"
"For like six months right. These people are like, they're just working out nonstop. They have to be in shape."
Although Kunis did seem to be on board if it was more of a "funny superhero Guardians of the Galaxy-esque movie," seemingly indicating that it's the long-term commitments that put her off those kinds of roles:
"What if I don't want to be fit one day? Once you sign onto these superhero movies you're signed on for the rest of your life. You have to do them a lot, and I'm not against them, I love them. Kate [McKinnon] you and I could be superhero ladies if it's like a funny superhero 'Guardians of the Galaxy'-esque movie."
Twitter has been flooded with a variety of reactions, including one from @italkmusicfilm, who firmly believes "she could be a great Sue Storm" and "deserves" a role on this level:
"I actually think she could be a great sue storm and I would love to see mila get a great role like this. She deserves it."
@herbodys had an "omg" reaction to the potential of Kunis joining the MCU after her meet-up with Shakman:
"hold up mila kunis was in a meeting with matt shakman, the director of 'fantastic four'… is she joining marvel omg"
@BurniesBurner is "manifesting the thought of Ryan Gosling playing Reed Richards opposite Kunis as Sue Storm:
"Ryan Gosling Reed and Mila Kunis Sue I’m manifesting it rn"
Gosling was recently reported to have his name in the mix for a role in the MCU's Fantastic Four reboot, although what character that may be remains unclear.
@thecubanhokage had an alternate pairing in mind, with Kunis playing opposite her real-life husband Ashton Kutcher as the superhero couple:
"ashton kutcher and mila kunis mr and mrs fantastic let’s goooo."
@StardustRadi0 isn't so fond of Kunis for Invisible Woman but thinks she she could pull off Alicia Masters - a blind artist and the wife of Ben Grimm/Thing:
"I can't really see her as Sue, but I think she could do good as Alicia if they introduce her in this film."
@NathanMiller88 suggested this may have nothing to do with the movie as they could be "just having coffee and hanging out," but they still believe she would do an excellent job in any role she could be given:
"Or they're just having coffee and hanging out... Though if she was cast, it's for a reason and she'll probably do a good job in whichever role she is given."
Is Mila Kunis Joining The MCU's Fantastic Four?
By all accounts, Mila Kunis and Matt Shakman don't seem to have worked together before on any of their past projects, but they have met through other means. After all, Hollywood is a small place and much of the top talent working there have met through mutual friends, awards ceremonies, auditions, and other various ways.
So, despite the fact that one of Shakman's main jobs at the moment comes with the development of Fantastic Four, that doesn't necessarily mean Kunis is currently in the casting cauldron. This could just as easily be a friendly hangout among friends as it could be a professional meeting.
Equally, even if Fantastic Four was on the cards for Kunis, there will undoubtedly be other females role on the table aside from Sue Storm, perhaps one without the long-term commitment and intense workout regime that, at least as of 2018, the actress seemed rather eager to avoid.
Alicia Masters could be one option for Kunis if Marvel Studios does introduce her in Fantastic Four. The stepdaughter of the villainous Puppet Master was a blind artist who turned on her father to help Marvel's First Family and developed a relationship with The Thing, showing no concern for his rocky appearance.
Ultimately, only time will tell who lands the Invisible Woman role, along with the other three members of the superhero team. But with casting said to still be in the "early" stages, Shakman and company will undoubtedly be meeting with a broad range of talent for these major Marvel players.
Fantastic Four hits theaters on February 14, 2025.
