One fan-favorite Fantastic Four star may be sitting out Marvel's next big team-up. Despite the upcoming multiversal chaos promised in Avengers: Doomsday, Marvel Studios reportedly hasn't reached out to a key actor from the early 2000s Fantastic Four.
During a meet and greet opportunity at Comic-Con Liverpool, Ioan Gruffudd, who played Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic in the 2005 and 2007 Fantastic Four films, revealed he has not been asked to appear in Avengers: Doomsday. Given that Doomsday's plot involves the multiverse, many fans thought Gruffudd could play a role in the movie, possibly as part of the Council of Reeds.
When a fan asked if he would be part of the highly anticipated crossover, Gruffudd responded, "No, no, not at all. No, I haven't been invited." However, he added that he's more than willing to return if given the chance: "If they invited me, in a heartbeat."
A video of the moment, shared on TikTok, has sparked speculation among fans. Some believe Gruffudd may be telling the truth, while others suspect he could be downplaying his involvement to avoid spoilers.
Comparisons have already been made to Andrew Garfield, who repeatedly denied his role in Spider-Man: No Way Home while promoting Tick, Tick... Boom! in 2021, "I'm not the werewolf!"
So far, Marvel Studios seems to be favoring the original X-Men over the early 2000s Fantastic Four when it comes to Avengers: Doomsday cameos. Kelsey Grammer, who played Beast, recently hinted at his role in the upcoming film, and other actors from that era of X-Men have been confirmed to return as well. Meanwhile, the only Fantastic Four confirmed for Doomsday are the brand-new team debuting in Marvel's 2025 First Steps reboot.
Although Chris Evans is reportedly set to appear, it's unlikely he’ll reprise his role as Johnny Storm, especially since that version of the character already made a surprise cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine.
This trend has left fans of the older Fantastic Four films wondering if those heroes will be left behind in the multiversal madness. Starring Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Evans, and Michael Chiklis, 2005's Fantastic Four explored the team's origin story as they grappled with their new powers after being exposed to cosmic rays.
Despite mixed reviews, it was a box office hit, earning over $330 million worldwide and spawning a 2007 sequel, Rise of the Silver Surfer. It was the second live-action Fantastic Four film made, following an unreleased 1990s version produced by Roger Corman.
After a disastrous reboot in 2015, Marvel Studios now holds the rights, relaunching the first family this July. Given the recent Marvel brand conciliation on the big screen, the sky is the limit for iconic cameos in films like Doomsday or Secret Wars.
Council of Reeds in Avengers 5?
With Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars set to dive deep into the multiverse, there's a looming possibility that Marvel Studios may introduce the Council of Reeds. The Fantastic Four: First Steps teaser featured Pedro Pascal's Reed Richards seemingly exploring wormholes on his chalkboard, possibly hinting at early steps toward multiversal communication.
In the comics, the Council of Reeds is a secretive organization made up of Reed variants from different universes, all collaborating to solve cosmic-scale problems, making them a perfect fit for the escalating stakes in the MCU.
Bringing this group into the fold could also pave the way for an epic cameo moment, similar to what we saw in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Rumors suggest Marvel could unite all past live-action versions of Reed Richards, including Ioan Gruffudd, Miles Teller, John Krasinski, and the MCU's new Reed, Pedro Pascal.
If the Council appears, it’s more likely to happen in Doomsday to set up even bigger multiversal consequences leading into Secret Wars. Alternatively, Marvel may save them for Secret Wars, where multiversal incursions could require the Council's intervention, or even reveal them as a behind-the-scenes force already manipulating events.
Either way, introducing the Council of Reeds would be a clever way to honor past Fantastic Four actors, with Gruffudd seemingly open to any type of return.
