One of the biggest questions heading into The Fantastic Four: First Steps is how Marvel Studios would portray Reed Richards' super stretchiness. Following the film's release, fans have learned that director Matt Shakman imposed a strict rule on just how far Mister Fantastic's flexibility could go.
Bringing Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) abilities to the big screen was always going to be a challenge because, unlike other superhero powersets, stretchy limbs are less believable in live-action and run the risk of looking cartoonish. In an attempt to ground Mister Fantastic's elasticity, The Fantastic Four: First Steps' screenwriter, Eric Pearson, revealed the Matt Shakman had one clear rule: "be within the physiology of the human body."
In talking with The Hollywood Reporter, Pearson relayed that Shakman wanted to know "my rules for stretching" and that he didn't want Reed to appear "too crazy cartoony:"
"I don’t know if it made you uncomfortable, the stretch [of Reed Richards]. [Director] Matt [Shakman] wasn’t allergic to stretching, but he was like, 'I want to know my rules for stretching and I don’t want it to be too crazy cartoony. I want it to be within the physiology of the human body.'"
Pearson further shared that to do this, Reed's limits needed to be tested. Therefore, when Galactus (Ralph Ineson) stretches Reed's body during the third act, it felt as if his "ribcage was coming apart," and those are the moments when it seems like the Fantastic Four are "going to lose:"
"So I was like, 'Well, if you want that, then let’s test the limits.' And it felt like [Reed Richards actor] Pedro [Pascal]’s ribcage was coming apart. You want the moments where it feels like they’re totally screwed and they’re going to lose."
Starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn, Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps arrived in theaters on July 25 as the first film within Phase 6 of the MCU. The cast, including Mister Fantastic's Pedro Pascal, are set to reprise their roles in 2026's Avengers: Doomsday (here's why the Fantastic Four may be going to Earth-616 here!)
Will Avengers: Doomsday Show More of Mister Fantastic's Powers?
Of the four members of Marvel's First Family, Reed Richards's elastic abilities were showcased less than those of his co-stars' super-powered characters. If anything, Reed's genius was utilized more as a superpower than his stretchy limbs, and understandably so, as poor visual effects or an unbelievable adaptation could have easily undercut the film as a whole.
Therefore, it's interesting to learn how Matt Shakman sought to combat this possibility and how that Galactus stretching Reed like pulled taffy not only raised the stakes but grounded Mister Fantastic's abilities. However, some fans felt differently about the scene, questioning if Reed Richards is less powerful in the MCU than he is in the comics.
The question now is whether audiences should expect to see more of Reed Richards' powers in Avengers: Doomsday and if the Russo Brothers have a different plan to showcase his complicated powerset.
