Warning: This article contains spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Marvel movie devotees begged the studio to cast John Krasinski as Reed Richards, and this bit of perfect Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness casting can't just be a cheap trick. Krasinski of course first became famous playing Jim Halpert on The Office, but has since evolved from comic protagonist into full-on dramatic leading man material. He has especially been riding high due to the success of A Quiet Place, an alien invasion horror movie that Krasinski both directed and starred in. Krasinski has also seen success fronting Amazon Prime's Jack Ryan show.
As for Reed Richards, Marvel watchers have wanted to see him and the rest of the Fantastic Four join the MCU since the early days of the franchise, but for years that looked to never happen due to Fox's stranglehold on the movie rights. Thankfully, Disney solved that problem by making Fox the latest studio it gobbled up and absorbed, after already acquiring Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm in previous years. Ever since that deal was made, there has been much anticipation over the prospect of the Fantastic Four finally becoming part of the MCU.
For many months, Marvel fans have been clamoring for Krasinski to be cast as the MCU's Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic, after seemingly coming to a consensus online. Thanks to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness visiting other realms, Krasinski was finally able to answer the call and play the stretchy Fantastic Four hero. At least until Scarlet Witch made mincemeat out of him. That version of John Krasinski's Mr. Fantastic may be dead, but it is vital that his casting not be a one-off.
Doctor Strange 2's Illuminati Misused Krasinski's Mr Fantastic
To be sure, the moment in which John Krasinski first appears onscreen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a crowd-pleasing, cheer-worthy one. Krasinski looks completely natural suited up as Reed Richards, and carries himself like a worthy member of Earth-838's Illuminati team. Furthermore, having a crazed, demonically-powered Scarlet Witch utterly obliterate the Illuminati was both a surprising and highly memorable plot development. The problem is, it was also a very short-sighted decision. The MCU introduction of heroes like Reed Richards - and Professor X for that matter - should have been something more worthy of such iconic characters, not what amounts to a shock moment the story quickly moves past.
While it's certain after Doctor Strange 2 that Reed Richards and Professor X will both reappear in the MCU sooner or later, having their first appearances be so quick and largely irrelevant to the overall story being told was a mistake. It is not nearly as big a blunder as casting Evan Peters as a fake Quicksilver on WandaVision for the sake of a joke, but if Krasinski ultimately does not return as the MCU's real Mr. Fantastic, that will really make his Doctor Strange 2 appearance feel like a trick being played on the audience. The MCU's audience is loyal, but that does not mean they like feeling deceived, especially about the Fantastic Four.
John Krasinski Is Still The Perfect MCU Mr Fantastic
To be sure, Marvel movie lovers are not a monolith, and not everyone is pining for the return of John Krasinski's Reed Richards after the death of Doctor Strange 2's Illuminati. There are several reasons why so many are though, and the first is admittedly quite superficial. Ever since Krasinksi started sporting a full beard in most of his roles, it has been impossible not to notice how similar he looks to the bearded version of Reed Richards sometimes depicted in Marvel's Fantastic Four comic books. Looks are not everything, but there is certainly something appealing about casting someone who looks the part.
Beyond superficial similarities to Mr. Fantastic though, Krasinski is also just a really good actor, and adding another of those to the MCU is never a bad thing. Krasinski has shown himself equally adept at comedic, dramatic, and action-oriented roles, elements all essential to excelling in the MCU setting in or out of the Doctor Strange 2 cast. He's also, as seen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, capable of projecting gravitas and an intelligent veneer, something definitely needed to pull off Reed Richards. On top of all that, casting Krasinski may also bring the added bonus of Marvel Studios casting his wife Emily Blunt as Sue Storm. The two have shown themselves to be great partners on camera in the A Quiet Place films, and Blunt is arguably an even better actor than her husband. Since Reed and Sue are usually a couple, the casting makes perfect sense if Blunt is up for it.
Can John Krasinski Really Return As Mr Fantastic In The MCU?
Luckily for Marvel devotees who want Krasinski back as Reed Richards, the fact that the multiverse is a full part of the MCU now basically means that anything can happen. It is also already clear that the Reed seen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was not the one from Earth-616, the main MCU realm. Thus, finding a way to inject another version of Krasinski's Mr. Fantastic into the MCU should not be too difficult from a sheer logistical standpoint. Where a possible problem may arise is in repairing the leader of the Fantastic Four's image with audiences.
While most viewers will indeed be happy to see Krasinski back in the role, it will be hard to forget just how effortlessly Wanda dispatched the Illuminati during Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. She was indeed extremely powerful, but Reed Richards still looked like kind of a chump in how quickly and easily he was defeated by the now presumed dead Scarlet Witch. If he is to return full-time to the MCU, Krasinski's Mr. Fantastic needs to be presented as a threat to the villain of whatever movie he resides in, and shown as the capable character he is usually presented to be. It might take a few movies, but Marvel Studios definitely can rehabilitate John Krasinski's Reed Richards, and prove that Mister Fantastic's first appearance wasn't simply temporary stunt casting.
