Marvel Studios is still some time away from bringing Fantastic Four to the big screen, although it's one of the most-anticipated new outings after Disney took over 20th Century Fox. Fan-casts have run rampant for this new outing over the past couple of years, many of them featuring The Office's John Krasinski as Reed Richards in the new MCU reboot.
Warning - The rest of this article contains spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Even though Marvel is still some time away from casting for its Fantastic Four movie, Krasinski got his first crack at playing Mr. Fantastic thanks to his surprise casting in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. After years of discussions on the matter, Krasinski officially joined Marvel Studios' first take on the Illuminati alongside other Marvel icons like Patrick Stewart's Professor X and Hayley Atwell's Captain Carter.
Especially considering that he was the last in the main lineup announced within the movie, it was clear that Krasinski's inclusion was meant to make a profound mark on this ever-expanding franchise with the Multiverse in play. Now, Doctor Strange 2 viewers from all across the fandom are sharing their thoughts on his introduction, even including one of the first people involved with the Fantastic Four in film.
OG Fantastic Four Star on John Krasinksi
Actor Alex Hyde-White spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about John Krasinski's casting as Reed Richards in Marvel Studios' Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Hyde played the role of Reed Richards in the unreleased Fantastic Four movie made in 1994.
Hyde-White wasn't shocked to see Krasinski in the role after the rumors surrounding the casting, and he praised Krasinski as "a heck of a storyteller and as a lead actor." He noted how Krasinski embodies all the qualities needed to play Reed Richards, even comparing it to his own movie as he looked at the motivations of the Fantastic Four nearly 30 years ago:
"Well, that’s not a surprise. He’s been rumored for a while. It’s exciting! He’s proved himself to be a heck of a storyteller and as a lead actor and a producer and director. Krasinski is a force to be reckoned with because he has a joy of storytelling, and he’s a good leader. Those are Reed Richards’ characteristics. If you were to send out a casting spec for Reed Richards, you would say 'Excellent leader, controlled freak — but nice about it. Collaborator willing to take the blame,' which I felt was the psychological currency of our Fantastic Four. We dealt with the motivations of the characters."
Krasinksi Fits Perfectly for Reed Richards
Coming from someone who played Mr. Fantastic on-screen before Marvel movies were the megahits they are today, there seems to be no debate about John Krasinski's fit for the role within the MCU. Even on top of his excellent work as both an action star and a director, Alex Hyde-White sees how close Krasinski is to a living representation of who Reed Richards is, allowing him to fit seamlessly into the Marvel Studios narrative.
Only seeing about 10 minutes of screen time in Doctor Strange 2, Krasinski captured the essence of the character without even fully showing off his iconic stretchy powers in action before the Scarlet Witch took him out. Seeing Reed reflect on another battle with Thanos alongside his own Doctor Strange brought the movie to an emotional peak before he mentioned his own family, and fans saw just how deep Krasinski could get with the role in such a limited capacity.
Now, the big question is whether Marvel Studios plans to bring Krasinski back to play the Earth-616 version of Reed in Fantastic Four - a role he and the fandom both want to become a reality. With the recent developments clearing up his schedule concurrent with his appearance in this movie, the cards may be lining up for him to have an extended future with the MCU.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now playing in theaters worldwide.
