The Marvel hero Spider-Man is a character that many actors have vied to play over the years. But if Miles Teller was given the chance back then, he would’ve much rather stuck with playing Mr. Fantastic in his Fantastic Four feature.
Why Miles Teller preferred the Fantastic Four over Spider-Man
Teller had the opportunity to portray Reed Richards in the 2015 film Fantastic Four. His co-stars at the time included Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, and Michael B. Jordan rounding out the rest of the Marvel family. According to Teller, the film’s director Josh Trank really had to push for the young cast.
“I tested for the role of Reed Richards. I think I’m the only person that did. But absolutely it took a lot of convincing for me with Reed Richards. I know Josh really had to…and Josh did for all the characters,” Teller once recalled to MTV News (via Comic Book). “For Jamie, he really vouched for. For Mike, he was, ‘This is my guy’ from the bat. And he was very specific on who he wanted to play these characters.”
One of the reasons Teller pursued the role of Mr. Fantastic was due to his own perceived industry expectations. It also helped that Fantastic Four was going to be an ensemble film. So Teller was able to share either the film’s success or failure with his co-stars, which he was comforted by.
“I wasn’t starving to be a superhero. Although at the time – it was a couple of years ago – if you’re a young man in this business, a part of you is saying, ‘I need to get a Marvel project; I need to be a superhero’, because you see all these actors you respect being put in that world,” Teller once told Playboy (via Female First). “I would not have wanted to be Spider-Man because I wouldn’t want the whole thing riding on my shoulders. I enjoyed the ensemble element of Fantastic Four.”
Miles Teller felt that ‘Fantastic Four’ was unjustly critiqued
2015’s Fantastic Four didn’t meet expectations. The movie under-performed at the box office, and the majority of critics gave the film negative reviews. Teller felt the film’s performance called into question the work ethic and dedication of the film’s cast and crew. But in an interview with Collider, Teller was adamant that everyone involved in Fantastic Four gave it their all.
“People think that when you make something like a Fantastic Four that doesn’t do well, people think ‘Oh you phoned it in’ and it couldn’t be more untrue. You work harder on the bad films, or the films that turn out maybe not the way you intended, because something’s not working. And I thought it was kind of unjustly critiqued that way,” he said.
Teller also believed that Fantastic Four’s failings might have been exaggerated, especially compared to past films that bombed at the box office.
“There are even bigger bombs if you’re looking at how much money went into the production and what they reaped back. But I think it’s unfortunate a movie like that becomes a scarlet letter on a resume when so many talented people worked really hard and maybe a handful of people took it in a negative direction,” he said.
Miles Teller would’ve been interested in doing a sequel to 2015’s ‘Fantastic Four’
Although the film caught a lot of flack, Teller didn’t rule out starring in a possible sequel if given the opportunity.
“If we do, I hope it comes together in a way that satisfies people. You want to make the fans happy, but you can’t please everyone. In our case, we pleased very few,” he said.
A sequel never panned out, however. Currently, the Fantastic Four is scheduled for another reboot in the official Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it’s expected to boast a brand new cast.