Marvel fans are divided.
A popular rumor has shaken up the MCU fanbase and the internet- Pedro Pascal might be becoming the next Reed Richards/ Mr. Fantastic in the upcoming Fantastic Four film.
While some are celebrating, others are sulking. The latter fans want John Krasinski to reprise his role as the stretchy hero. But are their wishes going to come true?
No, John Krasinski isn’t going to play Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic in the MCU again. In a December 2022 interview with The Wrap, the actor revealed that he had no communication with Marvel about continuing the role. Marvel Studios is set on hiring a new actor for the role.
Will Pedro Pascal Play MCU’s Reed Richards?
Recently, Deadline dropped a bombshell. On November 15, 2023, they released a report saying that Pedro Pascal was close to becoming Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic, in Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four. The article read:
“While a deal is far from done, sources tell Deadline that three-time Emmy nominee Pedro Pascal is in talks to play the leader of the iconic superhero team.”
Pascal is the latest name in a long list of actors rumored to play the coveted superhero. While nothing has been confirmed yet, many want Pascal to play Reed Richards.
After all, he has popular projects like HBO’s The Last of Us and Disney’s The Mandalorian under his belt, among others. Not to mention that he looks like he will fit the character physically.
But many were unhappy with the news since they wanted John Krasinski for the role.
Will John Krasinski Ever Play Reed Richards Again?
John Krasinski was trending on Twitter/ X, with people demanding that Marvel Studios bring him back as Reed Richards. Krasinski has only appeared once as the character, and that too in a cameo role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022).
In the film, he was a member of the Illuminati with Captain Marvel, Prof. Charles Xavier, Mordo, Black Bolt, and Captain Carter. However, he is killed when he faces Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch).
Since Krasinski’s hero was from Earth-838, many MCU fans hoped he would return. After all, we never saw Earth-616’s Reed Richards. Also, what bolstered this hope was neither Marvel Studios nor Kevin Feige clarifying whether the actor would return.
So, can John Krasinski play the hero in the upcoming MCU Fantastic Four film? It doesn’t seem so.
In December 2022, The Wrap asked Krasinski whether Marvel Studios had communicated with him about playing Mr. Fantastic in the MCU. To this, the actor replied negatively. He said:
“There aren’t any discussions at all, the only discussion I had was actually in the second-to-last week of ‘Jack Ryan.’ Kevin Feige called and said would you ever fly to L.A. and play in our sandbox for a day? I was honored to do it. I flew right from Budapest when we wrapped and went right to the ‘Doctor Strange’ set.”
He further said that he was glad to be a part of the film, although he would have loved a different ending to his version of the hero. He explained:
“To be in a room with all those people and again to be a part of that narrative is crazy. But yeah, being turned into spaghetti wasn’t my end goal in life as far as how it goes in the Marvel universe, but you know what, it was fun nonetheless.”
Since then, there have been no updates regarding his possible return, even though almost a year is about to pass. It looks like Marvel Studios never considered him for the role of their main timeline’s Reed Richards.
His inclusion in Doctor Strange 2 was to give fans a little treat because, for a long time, he was being fan-cast as the character. As such, it looks like MCU fans need to let go of their dream of seeing Krasinski as the main timeline’s Reed Richard.
The Fantastic Four film is slated to hit theaters on May 2, 2025.
What do you think about Pedro Pascal’s possible casting as the character? Or do you want to see John Krasinski reprise his role as Mr. Fantastic? Can it happen?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.