After making his MCU debut as Mr. Fantastic in 2022, some fans are confused as to why John Krasinski has been replaced for The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
The Office star John Krasinski boarded the Marvel Studios train in 2022 with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. He shocked moviegoers with his surprising debut as Reed Richards (a role he had long been fan-cast for) and a member of Earth-838's Illuminati, only to be quickly killed off.
Is John Krasinski Cast as Mr. Fantastic In The Fantastic Four's 2025 Movie?
To start with the obvious, no, John Krasinski will not reprise his role as "the smartest man alive," Reed Richards, from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
This time, Mr. Fantastic will be played by Pedro Pascal, best known for Gladiator 2, The Mandalorian, and The Last of Us. The Chilean actor will become the fifth to play the Fantastic Four leader after Alex Hyde-White (1994), Ioan Gruffudd (2005 and 2007), Miles Teller (2015), and John Krasinski (2022).
Much like Doctor Strange 2, which introduced and quickly killed Krasinski's Reed Richard of Earth-838, The Fantastic Four will take place in an alternate universe outside of Earth-616. That said, Pascal is expected to hold onto the role in the long run and eventually make the jump to the MCU's main continuity.
In terms of why Krasinski was recast as Mr. Fantastic, it was seemingly never the plan for him to play the stretchy superhero in the MCU long-term, hence why he joined his fellow Illuminati members as victims of the Scarlet Witch.
Doctor Strange 2 director Sam Raimi confirmed this in the audio commentary, explaining Krasinski was cast "because the fans had a dream of who the perfect Reed Richards would be." As such, it appears The Office star was only brought on for that movie to fulfill a long-running fan cast as a fun, one-off cameo:
“It’s so funny that Kevin [Feige] cast John [Krasinski] because the fans had a dream of who the perfect Reed Richards would be. And because this is an alternate universe, I think Kevin said, ‘Let’s make that dream come true.’ I’ve always really enjoyed all of his performances.’”
In terms of why Krasinski didn't land the Mr. Fantastic role full-time, the reasons behind his replacement are unclear. Perhaps the actor simply didn't fit the retro-future vision for The Fantastic Four that Marvel Studios was looking for, or the actor and director's busy schedule may have ruled out a long-term commitment.
Shortly after Doctor Strange 2, rumors started flying of actors supposedly being eyed or in talks for the role with Krasinksi no longer being considered. Before Pascal surfaced as the frontrunner, other rumored castings included Adam Driver, Penn Badgley, Jake Gyllenhaal, Matt Smith, and more.
Those rumors went on for over a year until Pedro Pascal's name emerged as being "in talks" in November 2023. His casting was later made official on Valentine's Day 2024 alongside the rest of The Fantastic Four's cast - Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
How John Krasinski Could Still Return as Mr. Fantastic
Marvel Comics already holds the paths for John Krasinski to reprise his role as Mr. Fantastic through the Council of Reeds. The union is comprised of Reed Richards Variants who had mastered Multiversal travel through technology called the bridge.
This could open the doors for past Mr. Fantastic actors such as Ioan Gruffudd, Miles Teller, and John Krasinski to reprise their roles as members of the Council of Reeds, perhaps along with more surprising actors as other Variants.
Granted, in the case of Krasinski's Mr. Fantastic, Marvel Studios would have to utilize a different Variant to the one featured in Doctor Strange 2 who was turned into stringy spaghetti by Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch.
The Council of Reeds could have organically fit into the original, scrapped plans for Avengers 5 as the antithesis to Jonathan Majors' Council of Kangs. But even as the focus shifts to Doctor Doom, there could still be room for a union of Reed Richards Variants, either in Doomsday, Secret Wars, or beyond.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters on July 25.
