The Human Torch is black now -- get over yourself

Your new Human Torch. If this bothers you, seek help.

I mentioned the presumptive Fantastic Four cast the other day in something of a derogatory fashion. But while my chagrin is aimed at the fact that gray-haired, wise scientist Reed Richards is going to be portrayed by a 12-year-old boy, others have alighted upon the fact that the Human Torch is going to be portrayed by an African American actor, Michael B. Jordan.

(No relation to that other Michael Jordan. I checked.)

I didn't know people cared about such things in the 21st century. Apparently, some do. But is the media making more of this than it should, giving a relative few idiots a disproportionately louder voice than they deserve? There are, what, 400 million tweets per day? That suggests to me that, on any given day, you could pretty much create an online controversy whenever you wanted. I mean, it's the law of averages: with that many tweets going out each and every day, there's bound to be plenty of stupidity to go around.

And, as far as this topic is concerned, there is. But I can't help but think that for as many morons as there are out there gnashing their teeth at this alleged canonical injustice, there are just as many who met the news with a collective shrug and said, "I just hope it's a good movie."

Unfortunately, they don't seem the type to tweet about it with lots of exclamation points.

I think it's more important to stay true to the spirit of the comic than exact particulars established back in the early 1960s. I suspect as far as the Human Torch -- hot-headed, impulsive Johnny Storm -- is concerned, Jordan will do just fine.

I'm just wondering how they're going to explain a pre-pubescent genius scientist. And I sure hope it's not something like this:

Is Miles Teller the new Reed Richards?