Warning! SPOILERS for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

John Krasinski's Reed Richards is now officially part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe thanks to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, raising questions about whether or not he'll play Mister Fantastic in the MCU's Fantastic Four movie. Marvel Studios confirmed plans for a solo film centered around Marvel's First Family in 2019, but the MCU hasn't explicitly set up the project before. This potentially changed in a major way thanks to Doctor Strange 2 including John Krasinski as Mister Fantastic in a cameo.

The version of Reed Richards featured in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness comes through the film's Illuminati sequence. This Mister Fantastic is not part of the main MCU timeline - known as Earth-616 - but instead hails from Earth-838. He's one of the founding members of The Illuminati in this universe, joining variants of Professor X (Patrick Stewart), Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell), Captain Marvel (Lashana Lynch), Black Bolt (Anson Mount), and Karl Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor). This marks the first official appearance of any member of the Fantastic Four in the MCU. However, John Krasinski's appearance through the multiverse doesn't solve the answer as to what Marvel Studios will do with the MCU's Fantastic Four movie casting.

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Now that he's appeared in Doctor Strange 2, it is easy to believe that John Krasinski will play Mister Fantastic in the MCU's Fantastic Four. Krasinski has been the most popular fan cast for Reed Richards over the last several years. Marvel Studios has given audiences a glimpse at what his Mister Fantastic would be like. This is a tease almost too big for Marvel to not deliver on at this point. Marvel Studios could have brought Ioan Gruffudd back instead to tease the multiverse, so picking Krasinski to play Reed Richards seems deliberate. Unlike the rest of the heroes featured on Earth-838, he's the only member of Doctor Strange 2's Illuminati team to never have appeared in a prior Marvel property. His quick death will likely leave audiences wanting more of his Mister Fantastic, which is why Marvel will likely keep John Krasinski around for the MCU's future.

The Fantastic Four MCU Logo

Despite the potential signs of a plan for John Krasinski to play Reed Richards in the MCU after Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Marvel Studios could also go in the completely opposite direction. Kevin Feige and Krasinski have both assured that fans got to see his interpretation of Mister Fantastic but without the former The Office star having to commit to a 10-year role in the MCU. This would allow Marvel Studios to still pay off the popular fan cast but still cast someone else as the MCU's main Mister Fantastic. Marvel will surely do this with Professor X's MCU future, as Patrick Stewart is highly unlikely to return for a substantial role.

Ultimately, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness having John Krasinski play Mister Fantastic might elicit a response that Marvel can't ignore. The excitement for him playing Reed Richards for a cameo is very high, and Krasinski has said he's open to joining the MCU. Bringing him back to lead the MCU's Fantastic Four movie would be a smart move on Marvel's part as a result. It also helps the studio avoid drawing comparisons between Krasinski's Mister Fantastic and whoever else they could cast as Reed Richards for the main universe. For those reasons, it seems more likely that John Krasinski will play Mister Fantastic in the MCU, but Marvel Studios should make an official announcement before too long.

More: Kevin Feige Redeems Marvel's Worst Superhero In Doctor Strange 2

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