Chicago Fire's Joe Minoso Knows Exactly Who He Wants To Play In The MCU
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is populated by dozens of memorable, well-drawn characters and places, and it continues to expand and grow with each passing year. In 2021, for instance, viewers were introduced to heroes like Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Shang-Chi (Simu Liu), and Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld). Now, with characters like Jennifer Walters AKA She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany), Marc Spector AKA Moon Knight (Oscar Isaac), and Kamala Khan AKA Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani) all making their live-action screen debuts in 2022, Hollywood's most successful cinematic universe is about to get a whole lot bigger.
Of course, those aren't the only notable comic book characters Marvel has plans for right now. In fact, the studio is currently at work on bringing one of the most well-known superhero teams in comic book history into the MCU in the Fantastic Four. The beloved group of heroes is expected to appear in a standalone movie sometime in the next few years, with "Spider-Man: No Way Home" director Jon Watts set to helm the team's first solo MCU outing.
While little is known about the project, Marvel fans have been busy speculating about it ever since it was first announced. Indeed, online fan discussions about the film have covered everything from which villains should be in it to who should be cast as its central heroes. Unfortunately, Marvel Studios has yet to officially cast anyone in the film, but that hasn't stopped one "Chicago Fire" actor from throwing his hat into the ring.
Joe Minoso really wants to play The Thing in the MCU
Joe Miñoso may be best known for his role as Joe Cruz in "Chicago Fire," but he's got his sights set on playing one particularly memorable comic book character. When responding to a fan who tweeted that he looks like The Rock, Miñoso took the opportunity to put his name on the list of stars Marvel should consider to play Ben Grimm AKA The Thing. "You hear that @Marvel! I look like a rock!!! Just in case your [sic] looking for the perfect actor to play BEN GRIMM aka THE THING! #fantasticfour," the "Chicago Fire" star tweeted.
Now, there is no way of knowing how well this strategy will work for Miñoso, or if it'll get him the "Fantastic Four" audition he wants. However, he's not the first actor in recent years who has used social media to voice his desire to play an MCU character. In fact, "Shang-Chi" actor Simu Liu famously tweeted Marvel back in December 2018 asking to meet with the studio about playing the comic book hero he eventually made his debut as in 2021.
While it's been made clear since then that Liu did not get his MCU role because of his 2018 tweet, it's an undeniably fun anecdote, and there's no reason to think something similar won't happen for Miñoso. Only time will tell.