John Krasinski confirms he has had no additional discussions with Marvel Studios about playing Reed Richards again in Fantastic 4 after his Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness cameo. After emerging as the heavy fan-favorite to play Mister Fantastic in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the growing demand led to the former The Office star joining the franchise through the multiverse. John Krasinski played Reed Richards from Earth-838 as part of Doctor Strange 2's Illuminati team. The cameo immediately created questions about if he would return as the character in the main MCU timeline and headline the upcoming Fantastic 4 movie.

In the time since John Krasinski's Reed Richards debut, the possibility of him retaining the role in the MCU became more controversial within the fandom. Krasinski is now busy promoting Jack Ryan season 3, and he addressed his potential MCU return during a recent press event with The Wrap. The actor was asked if there have been any conversations between him and Marvel about continuing the partnership in a way that allows John Krasinski to play Mister Fantastic again. He confirmed that no such discussions have taken place.

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. I’m a big fan of all those characters and that world, so to get to play in that sandbox for one day was a real thrill.

Related: John Krasinski’s Mister Fantastic Introduction Avoids A Phase 4 Problem

Why Krasinski Won’t Be The MCU’s Reed Richards

Reed Richards looking serious in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

The likelihood of John Krasinski not returning as Reed Richards in the MCU appears to be much greater than the possibility that he will be back. The decision is likely to divide fans once again. Those who did not like Krasinski's Mr. Fantastic in Doctor Strange 2 are likely to be happy with the prospect of his appearance being one and done. However, there are others who wished to see him get a proper chance to play the character in a bigger capacity. The controversial reception to the portrayal may have influenced any long-term plans for Krasinski and Marvel.

As more time passes, it becomes more clear that John Krasinski's Reed Richards cameo was merely a chance for Marvel Studios to pay off the fan-casting but without committing to him as the MCU's main Mister Fantastic actor. Kevin Feige can now say that he gave audiences a glimpse of what fans wanted while still being able to find someone else to play the role for years to come. Whether Marvel ever seriously considered using Krasinski as the MCU's Reed Richards is unknown. All that is clear now is that neither Marvel nor Krasinski expected Doctor Strange 2 to be the start of something bigger.

How John Krasinski’s Mister Fantastic Can Still Return

John Krasinski Reed Richards Death Doctor Strange

There might not be plans for John Krasinski's Mister Fantastic to return, but that does not mean audiences will never see him again. The multiverse nature of Marvel's current trajectory opens the door for Krasinski to return, even though Scarlet Witch killed the Earth-838's Reed. The comics have a multiversal Council of Reeds that another variant played by Krasinski could be part of. This new variant could return in the MCU's Fantastic 4 and interact with Marvel's actual Reed Richards actor. Otherwise, Krasinski's Mister Fantastic could also be seen again in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or Avengers: Secret Wars potentially.

More: Fantastic Four Can Make An MCU Reed Richards Theory A Reality

Source: The Wrap

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