There has been way too much talk about “superhero fatigue.” In my honest opinion, it’s fair… but short-sighted. Yes, we received more than a few projects by the top comic and superhero producers that fell short of expectations. The less we say about those movies and TV shows, the better. But both Marvel Studios and Warner Bros (though its DC label) are steadily ramping up production on exciting projects that could power the genre for 20 more years, and when I hear enthusiasm for those stories and the roles that are offered inside of them, it warms my heart.
Which takes us to Oppenheimer co-star David Krumholtz, a veritable character actor who is best known for The Santa Clause but has worked steadily in the industry for decades. Krumholtz lobbied for the role of The Thing in Matt Shakman’s planned The Fantastic Four, a part that eventually went to Ebon Moss-Bachrach. While speaking with ComicBook, though, Krumholtz opened up about why he wanted to play The Thing, and revealed a deep emotional bond with the source material. Krumholtz said:
I grew up reading Marvel comics obsessively and they saved me. I think, for a lot of young people, you emulate superheroes, you wish you had those powers, you wish you were somehow able to save people. I'm an empath, so that felt good to me. I loved every aspect of it. When the MCU happened, the satisfaction in seeing the actual costumes and seeing what they could do and do it accurately and authentically, it was exactly my dream come true. When you read those comics, it's hard not to imagine them as films, and they did it. They did it really, really well. It was emotional for me.
If you grew up reading Marvel comics, there has been something magical about seeing these characters brought to life on screen, dating back to Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man movie and also including detours into the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Daredevil, and more. The MCU has become its own behemoth, and a big part of the reason why I’m excited for Shakman’s The Fantastic Four is because it’s the first time he team is being properly handled by Marvel Studios, and not merely on loan to another studio who purchased the character rights. This is why the rumor of having the story set in the 1960s, or the inclusion of H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot are all very intriguing.
David Krumholtz continued to express that passion and love for the MCU, and even made a pitch for joining it, still. He told ComicBook:
I still very much want to be part of the MCU at some point. I have no qualms about ... It's not cool to say that right now. I don't care. To me, it's the coolest thing. The Thing just felt like a good fit, to some extent. I think Ebon Moss-Bachrach is gonna do an amazing job with that. A lot of it is motion-capture and voice stuff so I really wanted to try that and I've never done that before, so that was something that intrigued me big time. Just to be part of the team, I've always loved that character, but you never know. Something will come up, or not. I'll end up playing Ghost Rider's orthodontist.
How can Kevin Feige read this and NOT find a role for David Krumholtz in an upcoming Marvel movie? He jokingly said he can play The Mole Man in The Fantastic Four, but there are endless possibilities for an actor of his caliber. So start the petition. Get Krumholtz into a Disney+ show, or part of “Thunderbolt” Ross’s presidential cabinet. Make him Jarvis for the Young Avengers. Cast him as the MCU Hammerhead in Spider-Man 4. The man has chops, and is a fan. That’s a win-win.
