Many names have been thrown around in the rumors about the mcu‘s Fantastic fourincluding these eight actors who could play Reed Richards aka Mr. Fantastic.
As Marvel Studios prepares its Fantastic four reboot low wanda vision director Matt Shakman, Marvel’s First Family roles may be some of the biggest in Hollywood right now. After all, fans have been debating who should play these heroes in the MCU for years.
Reed Richards has been a particularly hot topic after John Krasinski, arguably the most popular cast of fans, debuted as Mr. Fantastic as a variant on Earth-838 in Doctor strange in the multiverse of madness. But oh, that seems to have been a fact with a search for a new actor now underway.
With the reboot film scheduled to open in February 2025, casting for the Fantastic Four appears to be moving forward before production begins later this year or early 2024. So, here are all the actors rumored to be playing the Mr. Fantastic ahead of the announcement, which most expect to arrive this year.
Penn Badgley
Penn Badgley – the actor behind Netflix You – has been rumored for the MCU’s Mr. Fantastic for a while nowpartly due to a variety of reports, and also because it bears a strong resemblance to Reed Richards’ classic comic book design.
After delivering a monumental performance in all three seasons of YouNo doubt Badgley will be doing the same thing again as soon as Season 4 arrives in February. This could help increase his chances of landing the MCU lead as it becomes a hot topic again, just as Marvel Studios is in the midst of casting the Fantastic Four.
adam driver
Star Wars’ adam driver emerged from left field several months ago as a rumored contender for Reed Richards in the MCU. Since then, The Direct’s own sources revealed that The driver is actually Marvel Studios’ best choice for the role..
The Star Wars actor has shown plenty of talent over the years, even earning two Oscar nominations at just 39 years old.
But he also has the benefit of an established working relationship with Disney thanks to his role as Kylo Ren in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
ryan goslin
Fans have been hearing for a while that Marvel Studios is interested in bringing Ryan Gosling on board, specifically to Ray‘Sentinel. But recently, whistleblower Jeff Sneider claimed that Gosling might actually be wanted for an unknown role in the MCU Fantastic four.
Gosling and his massive brand could be exactly what Marvel Studios needs to bring the Fantastic Four back after two shaky iterations from Fox. Though if Reed Richards is a role he’d be right for or even interested in committing to long term is a much more difficult question.
diego luna
Andor actor diego luna was recently named by an insider as a star in the running to play Reed Richards. Luna responded to these rumorscalling him “amazing” the number of claims you are tied up in.
While Luna, as a Mexican actor, may not be a traditional choice for Reed Richards, his award-nominated portrayal of Star Wars will certainly have put him at the forefront of minds at Disney for upcoming major roles.
But as Luna recently revealed, he will be “occupied” for the next two years to come and he’s not even sure he wants to act beyond that, he may not be the one to go for this particular role.
John David Washington
Despite beginning flew more under the radar than it should have due to its pandemic release, John David Washington emerged from it like a star. As with all major Hollywood faces, fans were quick to start casting him as various superheroes, including Mr. Fantastic.
cursed giant robot claimed two years ago that Washington was in talks for Mr. Fantastic, though that probably wasn’t true since Marvel Studios only seems to be casting Marvel’s First Family now. That said, perhaps Washington could find his name in the mix.
Developer Patel
Another rumor published by Giant Freakin’ Robot, this one just a month ago, claimed that Dev Patel could be in talks for the lead role in Fantastic four. As a British actor of Indian descent, Patel would certainly be a major departure from the traditional comics path, but that’s not to say he’d be a bad choice.
Having achieved fame and recognition at a young age after playing the lead role of millionaire, Patel has yet to land the big Hollywood role he deserves. As that movie continues to be discussed to this day, Patel’s stardom and talent might be just the thing. Fantastic four you need to put it away.
henry cavill
To the disappointment of many, henry cavill recently discovered that his schedule seemed much more open after losing the role of Superman just months after getting it back. with his time in DC and in The Wizard now endingmaybe she can finally be free to join the MCU like fans have been waiting for a long time.
After a rumor claimed that Cavill was in talks for a role at Marvel Studios, a video of him showing off his nerdy side building a custom PC went viral. Some fans took this as him auditioning at home for Reed Richards, trying to prove that he can bring out the super cool lab rat side despite his muscular appearance.
Glenn Howerton
it’s always sunny‘s Glenn Howerton has found himself in the heart of Fantastic four rumors, with some hilarious depictions even showing the entire cast of the sitcom as Marvel’s First Family. Howerton even has the advantage of Fantastic four director Matt Shakman having been involved with it’s always sunny.
Responding to the rumors in an interview with The Movie DweebHowerton expressed that it would be “big fun” back to work with Matt Shakman, calling him a “Close friend,” and adding that it would “accept that phone call.”
Unfortunately, as he’s already 46, Howerton is likely too old to be considered to play Reed Richards. Rewind ten years, the it’s always sunny The star may have been a perfect choice, but with Marvel Studios likely wanting this actor for at least a decade, he may have outgrown the role.
When will the cast of the MCU’s Fantastic Four be announced?
As long as Marvel Studios can avoid further delays, Fantastic four it’s currently scheduled to launch and kick off Phase 6 in February 2025. Based on typical MCU production times, that should put the start of filming at the end of this year or right at the beginning of 2024.
With casting now underway, there’s a good chance that the official Fantastic four the casting calls could simply appear in a report in one of Hollywood’s leading trade publications. But given the excitement surrounding these roles, Marvel Studios may want to save them to announce at a major event before an audience.
With Disney’s D23 Expo taking place twice a year, with the next one scheduled for 2024, the only big break this year will come with San Diego Comic-Con. As long as the cast can be locked down and signed in time for July, this may be the most likely time fans will hear this cast has finally been announced.
Fantastic four hits theaters on February 14, 2025.