If Joe Keery Isn’t Cast As The Human Torch, Here Are 10 Other Marvel Characters He Could Play

Joe Keery Getty

Image via Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Netflix

It’s been years since joe keery He debuted as Steve Harrington in the first season of Strange thingsbut Keery’s fever remains at an all time high.

The instant favorite of Netflix’s supernatural series joined the longtime cast in the debut season’s first episode, and soon had a fanbase to rival main characters Eleven or Dustin. A combination of Keery’s charm, good looks, and undeniable charisma made his breakout character one of the show’s best, and quickly brought Keery widespread recognition.

With the news that the fifth season will be the last of the popular show, fans are already on the hunt for Keery’s next big project. Rumors are already swirling that he could enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a certain brash member of the Fantastic Four, but no concrete castings have been announced. However, the idea of ​​Keery joining the MCU is too tempting for most of his fans to ignore, leaving them dreaming of the many alternatives Keery could take on in the franchise.

10 Marvel Characters Joe Keery Could Play In The MCU

The internet decided that Keery was a perfect fit for the Human Torch a long time ago, so we won’t repeat it here. However, if the MCU makes the mistake of passing him over for that role, we do have some ideas for alternate Marvel characters he could play just fine. And yes, most of them have great hair.

harry osborn

harry osborn
Image via Disney/ABC

The MCU has yet to officially introduce its Harry Osborn, and we think Keery would be a perfect fit for the role. The Osborns are, by and large, absent from the MCU in general, likely due to their overwhelming and impactful presence in the first trilogy of Spiderman films

That said, Harry is a big part of Spiderman lore, and it’s almost guaranteed that he will eventually enter the MCU alongside the already established Peter and MJ. Keery’s good looks and easy confidence would make him a stellar choice for Harry, and perhaps his personality could help bring a bit of charm and goofiness to an often serious character.

King Hannibal

King Hannibal
Image via Wikipedia

The 2023 ad Sword has people dreaming up plots and potential characters for the next movie. One of those characters is Hannibal King, a surprisingly considerate vampire turned private eye who is well known among fans of the franchise. In the early 2000s, Ryan Reynolds played this know-it-all vampire hunter in the third of the Wesley Snipes-directed movies. In fact, it was this role that ultimately inspired Reynolds to pursue a live-action adaptation of the dead pool comic books.

Hannibal’s character requires the perfect balance of charm, evil, and humor, and Keery has each trait in droves. He could bring a fresh, youthful spin to the character and renew it for a whole new generation of Sword fans.

Gambit

Gambit
Image via Comics Explained/YouTube

The X-Men are on a slow but inexorable path into the MCU, and fans couldn’t be more excited. While we’re distracted by endless debates about whether the team will be revamped or just reintroduced, some fans have their eyes on possible future castings. One character Keery could play, regardless of whether the team reformulates or stays the same, is Gambit, a crook from Louisiana who remains absent from more recent iterations of the team.

Gambit is fast-talking, endearing, and impressively powerful. His range of skills, coupled with his witty charm and luxurious hair, make him a stellar choice for Keery’s talents. Also, Keery might appeal to some Gen-Z fans for the slightly outdated (by junior standards) X Men franchise, something that may be necessary if the team really remains the same.

huge

huge
Image via Average Wil/YouTube

We have yet to receive official news of a young avengers MCU release, but trust us, it’s coming. The MCU has been laying the groundwork for this spectacular team of super-powered youngsters for years, with the vast majority of the original lineup already making their MCU debut. Except for Teddy Altman, of course.

Teddy, also known as “Hulkling”, is a sweet, soft-spoken young man with a complicated and rather onerous backstory. He doesn’t have the easy confidence that fans have come to expect from Keery, but the role could present a delicious challenge for the 30-year-old actor.

Iceman

Iceman
Image via Top 10 Nerd/YouTube

Speaking of the X-Men, another longtime favorite has yet to be recast for the new generation. The timeline of this beloved franchise is a bit fast-paced, in its live-action form, but Bobby Drake will almost certainly enter the MCU with the help of a new actor. Sorry, Shawn Ashmore, but you’re too old to bring this fan-favorite character back to the big screen.

Keery could bring a stellar, modern style to this old favourite. It’s also very likely that a modern portrayal of this character would allow his sexual orientation to remain intact, rather than making him straight for the sake of the screen. We’d love to see Keery portray this sometimes arrogant, but always well-intentioned character when the MCU brings him into the fold.

Hydra Bob

Hydra Bob
Image via OLD MAN COMICS/YouTube

Oh Bob. Poor Bob.

One of the most frequent companions, if it can be called that, in dead pool comics, Hydra Bob is a former member of the criminal organization, Hydra, who signs up (willingly or unwillingly) to help Deadpool in his often futile efforts towards heroism. While this character has technically had a minor cameo in one of the live-action dead pool movies, he was young enough to believe the character could be recast.

And Joe Keery would do an excellent job as Bob. The character is a slightly cowardly but profoundly charming man who is rarely in control of what happens around him. He’s a stellar comedic sidekick to Deadpool’s many misdeeds, and we think Keery could crush this role. He blends just the right amount of goofiness and well-meaning appeal to suit the Strange things favorite, and it would be delightful to see Keery try his luck with such an unlucky hero.

long shot

long shot
Image via RichTheMan/YouTube

Longshot, a somewhat minor Marvel character with a lot of potential, could be a perfect fit for Keery. The character is commonly associated with the X-Men, but isn’t so closely related that his appearance in a different series or movie seems odd. Longshot’s genuinely challenging backstory would also suit Keery well, broadening his abilities and allowing the popular actor to play a more serious role while still leaking some humor.

Throughout his history, Longshot has been a slave, an amnesiac, a stuntman, an X-Man, and more. He has a surprisingly rich backstory, one that the MCU could keep to give the character depth, or alter it, to make him a more goofy addition to one of several existing properties of his.

One of the Great Lakes Avengers

Great Lakes Avengers
Image via Great Lakes Avengers/Marvel

This team is essentially a punchline (no pun intended) on many Marvel comics, but they would honestly fit the MCU perfectly. The media franchise is already packed with awesome classic superheroes like Captain America and Spider-Man. Isn’t it about time they brought some B-Listers to the front?

Keery could play several of the members of this endearing and slightly messy team. She wouldn’t be a great choice for Squirrel Girl, although Maya Hawke could certainly land the part, but she would be a perfect fit for Mr. Immortal or Doorman. Her slightly goofy, off-brand style could be turned into a genuinely hilarious series or standalone movie, and Keery’s blend of goofy humor and classic magnetism would be a perfect fit.

Cyclone

Image via Marvel Database

With news of both Reckless renovation and a Ray movie officially, we have another idea for a potential Keery MCU role. We think he could be a perfect fit for the villainous Cyclone, a character who has cropped up in both series’ comic book stories.

We’re thinking that Keery would be a good fit for the third person to have the Cyclone nickname, Pierre Fresson. Fresson, a former member of a European crime syndicate, eventually inherits the Cyclone suit, which allows him to twist air to create cyclones, and joins the Thunderbolts. The character has ties to S.H.I.E.L.D., Hawkeye, Thunderbolts, and Daredevil, though the Man Without Fear is usually up against previous iterations of the villain.

Tray

Tray
Image via Marvel Comics

The final option on our list puts Keery in the role of T-Ray, a hulking, pale-skinned mercenary who often turns on Deadpool. Keery’s good looks would go to waste on T-Ray, and I’d probably have to bulk him up for the role, but we think Keery would be a stellar addition to the role. dead pool franchise, and could put a unique and interesting spin on this infamous character.

T-Ray is one of the most persistent villains of dead pool comics, so it seems inevitable that he will eventually enter the MCU, now that the Merc with a Mouth has a comfortable position among its ranks. We think Keery can pull off that high pony with poise and bring a fresh, different energy to the role that he would pair well with Reynold’s portrayal of Wade Wilson.