Michael B Jordan talks about how difficult it was to understand the psychology of a character who can turn himself into a fireball
In the highly anticipated superhero film, Fantastic Four, from 20th Century Fox, Michael B Jordan plays Johnny Storm. Along with Miles Teller, Kate and Jamie Bell, Johnny undergoes physical changes after mankind’s first journey to an alternative universe. Johnny’s transformation leaves him able to cover himself in fire that never burns him, combust the air around him, shoot fireballs, and propel himself through the air on jets of flame. After these changes,he becomes known as the human torch.
Tell us about what you think we can expect from this version of the Fantastic Four.
It's the Fantastic Four! It’s fun. These are characters you may be familiar with, but you’re seeing them in a new, fresh way. It's a different take. I think the film is grounded in real emotions — you get to know these characters and hopefully care about them. They’re learning about themselves at the same time. It’s a superhero movie but a grounded superhero movie. It’s an action packed drama.
What are your thoughts on your character, Johnny StormIJ
Well, Johnny’s Johnny, you know! like all of them, he’s figuring out who he is. He’s charismatic. He’s fun. But he’s got to deal with stuff. That’s what this is about. It's about when life throws curve balls at you, how you adapt. How do you deal with obstacles that you may encounter in your lifeIJ
How did you approach the roleIJ
Pretty much how I would approach any other role. You’re playing a person, a kid who is dealing with things. Obviously, I was excited to do it. I didn't really need to research the role as I was a huge Fantastic Four and comic book fan already.
Is it different though, being cast as a superheroIJ
Specifically for this project, I’m not cast as a superhero. I’m Johnny Storm,who's just a regular guy who becomes something. We're becoming the Fantastic Four that everyone else knows. It’s the journey to get there.
Josh Trank stressed that he wanted the right actors for the roles — what did you and Josh discuss before you signed up for the roleIJ What did Josh wantIJ What appealed to youIJ
It wasn't really that straightforward. We’ve been friends a long time and we’d talked about it. When he said “Would you play JohnnyIJ” Of course, I said, “Yeah! I’ll play Johnny!” That was kind of how it got started. We talked about it and developed ideas over a long period of time.
Can you tell me a bit about Johnny’s dynamic with the other main charactersIJ
The Fantastic Four that people remember were already established as a group, but here, that group is not established yet. We have to find that. That journey has to happen to get us to the place that people know. This is an origin story. These characters meet each other, mostly for the first time. So we become those characters over the course of the film. Ben and Reed are best friends, but Johnny doesn't necessarily agree with what Ben’s doing and then Victor’s there and it kind of becomes this sort of jousting for attention. Over the course of the film the chemistry comes together, that family dynamic that everyone is familiar with.
How did you find your co-starsIJ Presumably, playing a family of sorts, you needed to develop a certain chemistryIJ
Well, I’d known Miles for a while — we'd talked about this project, and we’d worked together, so there was a mutual respect already established. I knew Kate a bit; we had some mutual friends, and I'd been dying to work with her. Jamie, I’d respected for a long time. His talent, his work ethic. So that worked out well. And Toby… I really respect him too! I mean, we just had a great cast. And we all wanted to make something special.
What are the benefits of working with a director you’ve worked with beforeIJ
The chemistry is definitely stronger. It allows the communication to be that much better. You know one another’s tendencies, what they like and don’t like. Communication is most important on set, so when you have that with a director the second and third time around it's just that much stronger.
What does it feel like when you see yourself on screen with superpowersIJ
It’s really cool. All your imagination and fantasies as a comic book fan growing up come to life. You know when you’re a kid and you’re playing and figuring out what super power you would want to haveIJ Well, actually getting to visualize it and have it not just in your head is awesome!
looking back over the shoot, what has been the biggest challengeIJ
I guess one thing was with the costumes; the spacesuits and containment suits could be a little distracting when concentrating on the performance. And the green screen too. That was a challenge. You really had to use your imagination for a universe that wasn’t there; imagining what you are looking at and how you are reacting to what you’re seeing.