John Krasinskipleasantly surprised fans in May 2022 when he made his debut appearance in theMarvel Cinematic Universeas Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic in the box office hitDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Krasinski has long been open about his desire to play the coveted role over the years, as have his fans. Before landing the role, Krasinski had previously auditioned for Steve Rogers/Captain America inCaptain America: The First Avenger, and also for Starlord/Peter Quill inGuardians of the Galaxy.
Ever since his appearance as Earth- 838’s Reed Richards, fans have been in a frenzy speculating whetherKrasinski will reprise the rolefor the upcomingMCUFantastic Fourmovie, set for release in November 2024. Despite being prodded by fans and media about his potential return to the MCU, Krasinski isn’t revealing anything. During an interview on Late Night with Jimmy Falon, Krasinski joked around with Falon stating, “Seriously, what have you heard? I need to know.” Here, we examine the circumstances of the casting and pose the question: Is John Krasinski done with Marvel?
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Casting
Krasinski has a long history with Marvel despite him only recently being cast in an MCU film. Long before his celebrated casting inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Krasinski had auditioned for Steve Rogers/Captain America inCaptain America: The First Avenger. According to Krasinski, he was called in for a screen test before the part was officially offered to Chris Evans, which he described as “fun” up until it was time to try on Captain America’s iconic costume. In a 2020interview with Ellen Degeneres, Krasinski recounts getting the suit up just over his hips, when a buff Chris Hemsworth offered some words of encouragement. Krasinski states, “He was just like, jacked! He was like ‘You’re gonna look great in that suit.’ And I was like ‘Don’t make fun of me Hemsworth.’ So, I just walked away right there.” He added, “No, I didn’t. I acted my heart out that day. And it didn’t work out, so.”
Ironically enough, it was Krasinski’s screen test for Captain America that would eventually win him the role of Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic inDoctor Strange 2.In 2016, Krasinski had first recounted the events of his Captain America audition to Tonight Show host Conan O’Brien, and it was this interview that spurred fans’ speculation on which MCU role would be best suited for theA Quiet Placestar. According toThe Direct,it was the fan art of Reddit-user lmfao616 that impassioned Krasinski fans everywhere to campaign for their dream Reed Richards casting. With the mere mention of Krasinski in the coveted role, the original fan art is undoubtedly not far behind. When questioned by Screen Rant on his feelings about continuing playing Mr. Fantastic, Krasinski simply responded, “I would love that!”
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Earth-838 Reed Richards
Krasinski’s casting begs the question: Is there a future for Krasinski in the MCU? InDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Krasinski plays the Earth-838 version of Reed Richards, which could indicate a temporary placement in the role as it is, after all, an alternate universe. Earth-838 introduces the audience to a world where the Avengers never assembled, and another superhero faction called The Illuminati takes their place. With Marvel’s announcement of The Fantastic Four joining the MCU, it is a safe assumption that the upcomingFantastic Fourmovie takes place on Earth-616, which leaves the door open for another actor to fill Krasinski’s shoes. That said, there are two schools of thought when discussing Krasinski’s potential to take on the role in the upcomingFantastic Fourfilm: theDoctor Strange 2cameo could serve as a screen test for a much bigger part in the upcoming film, or it could simply be honoring the fans and their desire to see Krasinski in the role. Krasinski himself has addressed the possibility of reprising the role of Earth-616 Reed Richards inFantastic Fouron an episode of theTonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, however, in true Marvel fashion, his response leaves us with more questions than answers.
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Fantastic Four’s Introduction to the MCU
Regardless of who ends up in the role, the upcoming reboot film is sure to be epic, marking The Fantastic Four’s long-awaited introduction into the MCU. The official release date for the film has been announced as June 21, 2025. No one has officially been cast yet, however, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige recently spoke withComicbook.comabout the casting of the film: “I think the MCU is a beautiful combination of both (established actors and new faces),” Feige said. “I think you look no further than Simu in Shang-Chi, like Chris Hemsworth, like Tom Hiddleston, like Tom Holland, an actor that hadn’t been seen by a tremendous amount of people before, or you have a Benedict stepping into Doctor Strange or Christian Bale stepping into Gorr in our Thor film. It is always a beautiful combination of both, and it really is about the search for the best actor for the job whether that actor is known to the world yet or not.” It is clear from the overwhelming response to his recent cameo that Krasinski is a fan favorite for the role, however, at this point it remains to be seen whether Krasinski is the best actor for the job or, more generally, what his future with Marvel looks like.
