Why John Krasinski Won’t Be Cast as Reed Richards Again

Ever since John Krasinski played Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, fans wondered whether he would reprise that character in the upcoming Fantastic Four film. After all, it felt like the big grand reveal of the character that Marvel had done in the past with other roles like Tom Holland as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War or Hawkeye back in Thor. Even with that version being killed by the Scarlet Witch, many people assumed that his MCU variant would look like Krasinski.

However, it looks like that won’t be the case, as on February 14, 2024, Marvel Studios revealed the official cast for The Fantastic Four, and Pedro Pascal was revealed to be Reed Richards. Pascal had been rumored to have the role of Mister Fantastic for some time but the reports encountered mixed reactions among the fans as the part has been up for grabs and heavily rumored with different actors for years.

The MCU is in its problematic Multiverse Saga stage, and besides various alternate realities, it also introduces many variants of characters. While some variants like Peter Parker look drastically different between universes, some tend to be the same as so far every Doctor Strange we’ve seen has been played by Benedict Cumberbatch. The Office star never gave false hope and openly spoke about the fact that in the future, the role of the genius stretchable scientist will be played by someone else. But one had to hope that maybe he was bluffing. It’s official that he didn’t, and here’s why.

Updated February 21, 2024: With the recent announcement of the official Fantastic Four cast, this article has been updated with additional information.

Krasinski’s Cameo was Always a One-Time Thing

John Krasinski became known to a broader audience thanks to a popular sitcom, The Office, where he portrayed Jim Halpert, a sarcastic sales representative and a casual prankster. The show’s popularity skyrocketed his career, and he would later go on to star in many popular movies. Krasinski’s name was associated for many years with Reed Richard’s character, and many considered him to be the perfect actor for the part.

Interestingly, Krasinski’s appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was a huge surprise and Sam Raimi’s gift to the fans, since there were zero talks about John’s role as Reed Richards before the movie’s release. In the film, Krasinski is Mister Fantastic, the smartest person on Earth-838, and a member of the Illuminati. All of that sounds impressive, of course, except for one fact. The Scarlet Witch killed him with ease. Regardless, Reed Richard’s appearance in the MCU gave the audience a glimpse of what to expect in the future, and that’s the arrival of the Fantastic Four movie as a part of Marvel’s Multiverse Saga.

After the initial excitement, speculations began about whether Krasinski would continue to portray the character of Mister Fantastic in the future. The actor shared that he was thrilled about the opportunity to play a genius scientist in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and gladly accepted the role. It was well known by him and everyone on the cast that this role would only be a one-time thing and was just supposed to be a treat for the hardcore fans. In the film’s audio commentary, director Sam Raimi even said that:

“It’s so funny that Kevin cast John because the fans had a dream of who the perfect Reed Richards would be,” he said, adding. “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.”

From the start, Marvel had a different vision in mind for the character, but Multiverse of Madness presented a unique opportunity to give the fans what they wanted before the main Mister Fantastic was cast. It was only ever intended to be a bit of fan service so fans could see what he would be like in the role before brutally killing him off to signify that wasn’t the direction they were going. Krasinski did a great job with what he was given, but the future plans for the Fantastic Four film were not something he had in mind or knew anything about. Sure, the fans thought he was bluffing, but it turns out he was telling the truth.

After years of speculation and buildup, Marvel has finally confirmed that The Mandalorian‘s star, Pedro Pascal, has been cast as the new Reed Richards. Pascal has landed another significant role to add to his already impressive resume. But why did they recast Reed Richards? Pascal already has a lot on his plate with several projects in development, like The Mandalorian, which is now getting its own feature film in The Mandalorian and Grogu, and season two of The Last of Us. However, the actor is arguably at the height of his popularity in his career, and Fantastic Four will be released in 2025, so Marvel Studios will likely have enough time to coordinate their schedule with their new star. As for Krasinski, there are several reasons why he won’t be cast as Reed again.

Too Much of a Commitment

The first reason John Krasinski won’t return as Mister Fantastic again is simple and logical – another actor got the part. However, considering that there is a Multiverse in play, possibilities of Krasinski’s reappearance are on the table, but they seem very unlikely. There is also a chance that Marvel Studios never considered him for the role in the long run in the first place.

The other thing to remember is that The Fantastic Four will be a new central team introduced in the MCU and will presumably carry the franchise through many years to come. Considering that Krasinski is an actor, director, producer, and writer, there is a high chance he can’t commit to such a long-term collaboration.

Since A Quiet Place hit theaters in 2018, Krasinski has become an in-demand director. He followed it up with A Quiet Place Part II, which following a COVID-19 pandemic delay, finally hit theaters in 2021. He is producing the prequel film, A Quiet Place: Day One. This summer his latest film, IF, hits theaters and is one of the most anticipated films of the summer movie season due to Krasinski being a filmmaker that can get an original film off the ground. Krasinski clearly is busy directing and might be where he wants to take his career.

John Krasinski is in the stage of his career where he’s got nothing to prove to anyone and has the luxury of carefully choosing projects he wants to work on. To land a significant role as Mister Fantastic is a big achievement, but it also entails many obligations. Mr. Fantastic is one of the most important characters in the entire Marvel Universe, so if Krasinski were to sign on he’d practically become the new face of the MCU.

With so many projects to star in, it would drastically reduce the time that he’s able to develop his own films. Directing and producing are things that Krasinski is clearly both passionate about and talented at, and it’s understandable if he doesn’t want to give that up. In the last few years, he’s taken a step back from acting as much as he used to and has put more time into developing original projects. With The Multiverse Saga in full swing, it’s possible for him to appear again as the character anytime, but for now, just let the man make the movies that he wants to.

Fan Casting isn’t Always the Best

For years, fans have been clamoring for Krasinski to play Mr. Fantastic due to how similar he looked to the character at the time. It all started when one Redditor created this now iconic piece of fanart, and it took the internet by storm. Krasinski had just grown out a beard for his role in the series Jack Ryan. People realized that this made Krasinski look similar to how comic artists had been drawing Mr. Fantastic since the “Time Runs Out” story in New Avengers. It wasn’t until one year later, in 2019, that things would really catch on, as Marvel themselves drew Mr. Fantastic in War of the Realms #3 to look like Krasinski, raising hopes that he may just play the character after all. It was only a one-time thing, but now that the idea was out there, it has become arguably the most popular fan-cast on the internet. That doesn’t make him a perfect casting choice, though.

Krasinski has always been a rather surface-level choice to play Reed Richards. Nothing against him; there’s no doubt that he’d have done a good job in the role, but it does feel like the reason people have been petitioning for him to play this role is because of circumstances. He just so happened to look like a very specific version of the character, and, most importantly, his wife, Emily Blunt, also resembled Reed’s wife, the Invisible Woman. To fans, a real-life couple who looked like the comic characters was enough reasoning to offer them the roles.

While Krasinski has always been open to the role, Blunt has gone on record as saying it does not interest her, so the dream idea wouldn’t even work out. Krasinski has always been an obvious casting choice for Mister Fantastic, and it was nice to see him get the opportunity for a brief cameo. Still, Marvel rightfully has a different idea about who can bring this version of the character to life.

Pedro is the Better Fit

He may not have been the most traditional casting choice for Reed Richards, but Pedro Pascal is a much better fit to embody this version of the character. From the recently released poster, it’s clear that Marvel Studios is taking The Fantastic Four in a new direction. It seems like the film will take place during the 1960s, and they’re going for a much simpler vibe. With someone like Pedro in the role, Marvel will have a versatile actor who can pull it all off. He has experience in action with projects like The Mandalorian, and with a show like The Last of Us, it’s clear that he can pull off a complex character.

Mr. Fantastic has more depth than most people in the entirety of the Marvel universe, and Pedro can effortlessly bring that to life. Whether they want the wholesome nerd part of the character or the cold and calculating scientist, he’s able to embody both, even at the same time. It’s also less confusing to have a new actor for casual audiences, as with Pedro Pascal, it’s very clear that this is a different character who wasn’t turned into spaghetti in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

A lot of people are hesitant about this casting, but this is a cycle that constantly repeats itself whenever an unexpected actor is cast in a role. For example, Hugh Jackman is nothing like the comic version of Wolverine. That version of the character is a stocky and short 5’3″ Canadian man with a well-known temper. Compare that with mild-mannered musical theater actor Jackman, standing at 6’3″. On paper, that shouldn’t work in the slightest because it goes against everything the character is known for visually. Now, over 20 years later, Jackman’s Wolverine has become iconic and the de facto version most people think about. He did such a good job in the role that they brought him back for Deadpool & Wolverine.

Even someone like Mark Ruffalo was a confusing choice to play the Hulk for some, as he didn’t seem like a genius scientist harboring a rageful monster inside of him. Fans might forget this, but Ruffalo got boos when he was announced as The Hulk at San-Deigo Comic-Con 2010 because fans wanted Edward Norton to reprise the role. Now, Ruffalo is widely considered the best actor to portray Bruce Banner and fans are hoping to see him get his own movie as the character one day.

Fans are way too quick to judge an actor before seeing their performance as the character. Actors are paid to act and be someone else, so if it seems like someone isn’t going to fit a character, just wait and see how it actually turns out in the end. Pedro is one of the most talented working actors today, and it’s very likely that he’ll be able to make the role his own. The first poster alone shows just how well he fits the role in both look and tone, and there’s no doubt that his popularity will bring a whole new audience to the movie.

There are still many unknowns surrounding the Fantastic Four movie. The main four of the team have been confirmed, but no villain has been announced yet. Filming is set to begin in summer 2024 with a release date set for July 25, 2025.