Michael B. Jordan is getting ready to suit up for his highest-profile role yet, as Johnny Storm in the reboot of Fantastic Four. But not everybody is excited for Jordan to play the part. The actor, who has been on a hot streak since his breakthrough role in Fruitvale Station, is facing racial backlash from fans who take issue with him playing the comic book hero, who is described in the original comics as white with blonde hair and blue eyes.
"Why is it okay when a Black actor is hired to play a white character, but they’d NEVER hire a white actor to play a Black character?" says one fan boy on Twitter. Another adds, "I’m not racist, but don’t cast a Black guy to play a white super hero. Its just not right. That’s like going to a restaurant and asking for a coke. Is Pepsi ok? Only if monopoly money is ok for a tip!"
Adding fuel to the fire, some fans are especially irate that the role of Johnny Storm's sister, Sue Storm, will be played by white actress Kate Mara. "Getting somebody Black to play Johnny Storm & somebody white to play Susan Storm is the equivalent of getting a white guy to play Malcolm X," says one Twitter fan.
A similar controversy surrounded the casting of Black actors Amandla Stenberg and Dayo Okeniyi as Rue and Thresh in 2012's The Hunger Games. 
Fantastic Four will begin filming next month in Canada.
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 (Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)