Fantastic Four

[Jimbo]

I agree that Marvel characters are archetypes. With certain characters, his or her race matters less than what the actor can bring to the role. However, with other characters, I believe an actor's appearance does matter. For example, characters like Johnny Storm or Nick Fury could be either white or black. I think that if they ever make an Iron Fist movie, Daniel Rand could very well be black instead of white, maybe played by Michael Jai White. I think of Russell Wong as Sub-Mariner because he has the acting chops to portray a regal prince; he has the maturity, physical stature and athleticism; plus, he also looks like a Prince Namor. So in Wong's case, I (as someone who is NOT a casting director) feel that he has the whole package to portray a distinct (and distinctive-looking) character, if he were willing to take on the role.

Sorry for taking the thread so far OT.