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Josh Trank regrets not quitting 'Fantastic Four' after Fox refused to cast a black Sue Storm

Kate Mara played Sue Storm in Fantastic Four, with Michael B Jordan as her brother, Johnny. (Image by 20th Century Fox)
Kate Mara played Sue Storm in Fantastic Four, with Michael B Jordan as her brother, Johnny. (Image by 20th Century Fox)

Fantastic Four director Josh Trank has once again been discussing his maligned comic-book adaptation, admitting that he regrets not quitting the film when 20th Century Fox didn’t allow him to cast a black Sue Storm.

Trank said as much during a recent discussion with Geeks Of Color, as he remarked, "There was a lot of controversial conversations that were had behind the scenes on that. I was mostly interested in a black Sue Storm and a black Johnny Storm and a black Franklin Storm.”

Read More: Josh Trank was bitter towards other superhero directors after 'Fantastic Four' failure

“But I also, when you're dealing with a studio on a massive movie like that, everybody wants to keep an open mind to who the big stars are gonna be. Like, ‘Well maybe it will be Margot Robbie or something like that.' But when it came down to it, I found a lot of pretty heavy pushback on casting a black woman in that role."

SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 11:  Director Josh Trank of 'Fantastic Four' speaks onstage at the 20th Century FOX panel during Comic-Con International 2015 at the San Diego Convention Center on July 11, 2015 in San Diego, California.  (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 11: Director Josh Trank of 'Fantastic Four' speaks onstage at the 20th Century FOX panel during Comic-Con International 2015 at the San Diego Convention Center on July 11, 2015 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)

Trank acknowledges that he should “have just walked” away from Fantastic Four when he realised that he wasn’t going to get the cast that he wanted. Something that he feels embarrassed about now.

“Those aren't the values that I stand for in my own life and those weren't the values then, or ever, for me.”

Read More: 'Fantastic Four' director Josh Trank says movie's reshoots were 'like being castrated'

“Because I'm somebody who always talks about standing up for what I believe in, even if it means burning my career up, and I feel bad that I didn't take it to the mat with that issue. I felt like I failed in that regard, but that was a weird, unfortunate situation, I don't know how else to put it."

Trank was at least able to cast Michael B Jordan as Johnny Storm, and Reg E. Cathey as Franklin Storm. However that didn’t stop Fantastic Four being both a financial and critical failure.