Nope’s Brandon Perea Addresses Marvel Casting Possibilities, Suggests Johnny Storm With Tom Holland’s Spider-Man (Exclusive)

Actor Brandon Perea’s charm and talents made him a breakout star of Nope, with the physical abilities he has showcased online igniting support from Marvel fans for the actor to take on the role of beloved figures. The actor himself first shared his excitement over playing a version of Nova, then agreed with another fan who suggested Nightcrawler might be a better fit, with Perea recently pointing out that he could also see himself pulling off Johnny Storm in a reboot of Fantastic Four. In the meantime, fans can see Perea in Nope, which is out now on Digital HD and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on October 25th.

When asked by ComicBook.com if Perea has met with Marvel since showing his interest in the franchise on social media, the actor teased, “If I did, I wouldn’t be able to talk about it anyway. And if anything, I’ve learned from other people’s mistakes in the Marvel Universe of letting things out. Even with this, I’ve learned so much from Nope, of there’s a laser on your forehead at all times when it comes to revealing things. I’d say this: I’ve put it out there in the universe, we’ll see what happens. I’ve been keeping my eyes out of what fans are saying of those universes, as well, of what they attract to, what they would like, and yeah, it’s cool to just get that input.”

He continued, “They’re a tough fan base to please, which is understandable. I’m the same way. I’m a fan of the comics, I grew up on them, so I would love to be able to do it properly and just to serve the storylines properly and also serve the fans properly, and maybe even bring something different to the table, too, that someone can appreciate instead of by the book. There’s different avenues, and I think [Marvel Studios president Kevin] Feige is doing a really good job at that. It’d be great to be a part of, but also, I’ll just let the cards play out and see what they do, because, man, fans, I see y’all, man. So I’m going to let it be, let it chill. I’m going to let it chill. People be going crazy.”

Having volunteered for Nova and for Nightcrawler, the actor then addressed the character he would be more interested in playing.

“Well the thing I’ve been intrigued in recently, and I didn’t even bring this idea up, I started seeing it from fan casting. Johnny Storm, man,” Perea pointed out. “That was something that was very intriguing. I think my performance in Nope really highlights that. I’d have to bring some more swagger into it for sure for that Johnny Storm, but to be able to sit across from Tom Holland or something, like that best friend feel, I think, well, especially after watching the latest Spider-Man, we’d knock some scenes out of the park, man. It’d be so fun and it’d be a blessing. But yeah, I am open to anything in there. Even, man, thinking about it, too, villains. I’d be down for a villain.” 

He added, “All of the ones that you brought up, though, super intriguing. Like Sam Alexander’s Nova, of course, but also Richard Rider’s Nova, Nightcrawler. Man, Johnny Storm, a Venom villain. But yeah, I don’t know. We’ll see how the cards play out, man. I’m just going to let it vibe out and see what’s up. I’m not going to be too direct on it, because maybe there’s better ideas that are better than my own … Because I never thought about Johnny Storm, truly, growing up because it’s like, the fact that the fans were calling for it, I was like, ‘Hmm, I think I could do something like that.’”

In Nope, following their father’s shocking death, Hollywood animal wrangler OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and his sister Emerald (Keke Palmer) begin observing unexplained phenomena on their vast Southern California ranch that leads them down an obsessive rabbit hole as they plot attempts to capture the mystery on camera. Along with a former child star turned family theme park ringmaster (Steven Yeun) who neighbors the siblings, the pair’s efforts to chase the spectacle soon bring terrifying consequences and unimaginable horror. The result is a complex social thriller that unpacks the seeds of violence, risk, and opportunism that are inseparable from the romanticized history of the American West … and from show business itself.  

Nope is out now on Digital HD and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on October 25th. Stay tuned for Perea’s possible future in the MCU.

Would you like to see Perea join the franchise? Let us know in the comments!