John Krasinski’s appearance as Mister Fantastic in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness may have been brief, but it fixes a potential future Fantastic Four problem. Phase 4 of the MCU has had a trend of introducing incredibly strong characters only to have to dial them back in subsequent appearances. Although the version in Multiverse of Madness was only a variant, showing off his early demise will set the tone for Reed Richards and the Fantastic Four’s future MCU appearances.

Mister Fantastic is known in the Marvel comics for being the smartest man on Earth. Alongside the rest of the Fantastic Four, they are some of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel universe because of their combined brains and brawn. Putting them alongside the Avengers in future MCU projects could come off as a power imbalance, but seeing Mister Fantastic’s weaknesses on full display in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness can help avoid that problem. Given the audience knows he is fallible, any accusations of the character being overpowered can now be averted.

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Krasinski's Mr. Fantastic Death Can Combat A Fantastic Four Problem

John Krasinski as Mr Fantastic in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

There have been a lot of heroes that were arguably overpowered in their MCU debut, which has caused debates on who is capable of what. For example, Carol Danvers has been extremely powerful ever since her introduction in Captain Marvel, and the character will even be getting a power increase in The Marvels. For a hero that is seemingly so capable of single-handedly fighting off enemies, it’s questionable how well she integrates into a team like the Avengers. With Mister Fantastic being so known for his smarts, he might have suffered the same doubts if not for his Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduction.

Mister Fantastic’s appearance was brief and showed him easily getting defeated by Scarlet Witch. Despite having the title of the smartest man on Earth, having him make a careless mistake by giving away Black Bolt’s powers lowers the expectations of him. Equally, for all his brain power, he is still relatively physically frail compared to other MCU figures. Whether Marvel decides to go with an origin story or an established plot in the future Fantastic Four film, Krasinski’s Mister Fantastic has opened the door for the MCU to level out the Fantastic Four’s powers ahead of their official arrival.

Krasinski's Controversial Doctor Strange Death Can Be Good For The MCU

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John Krasinski has long been a fan favorite for the casting of Reed Richards, and his Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness death was a disappointment for some and a relief to others. For viewers who the obvious Krasinski fan service casting didn’t work for, having his version be killed off makes room for a new Mister Fantastic Fantastic Four casting while still acknowledging the fancast. Others who were more disappointed with how Mister Fantastic was portrayed character-wise can rest assured that Krasinski’s Reed Richards is not the final, definitive version of the main MCU timeline.

Having John Krasinski’s Mister Fantastic be swiftly murdered by Scarlet Witch helps to make his reputation less overpowered. For a team like the Fantastic Four, who could easily become some of the strongest heroes in the MCU, this introduction of Reed Richards will lower expectations for them and give them an easier segue into the main universe. Although Krasinski’s portrayal of Mister Fantastic in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness got mixed reviews, it’s undeniable that his depiction sets the tone for the Fantastic Four film by avoiding the phase 4 character problem.

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