Fantastic Four: Rumors of Adam Driver’s Reed Richards Casting Are Heating Back Up
Reed Richards #ReedRichards
Rumors of Adam Driver potentially playing the new Reed Richards in the MCU’s Fantastic Four reboot just won’t seem to go away, and the latest to emerge suggest that he’s now pretty much got the part. Word that the 65 star may be cast as Mister Fantastic goes back several months, with rumors that he was being eyed for the part first hitting the web last year. Earlier this year, it was reported that Driver was the “frontrunner” for the role, news that was neither confirmed nor debunked by Driver or Marvel Studios. News scooper Daniel Richtman now reports (per TheDirect) that Driver is in “final talks” for the role of Reed Richards, coinciding with the previously reported rumors.
With all of this said, nothing has been officially confirmed and the casting should still be treated as a rumor at this time. However, the potentiality does have a lot of fans excited, with some going so far as to craft up fan artwork imagining Driver in the role. If the casting happens, it would mark Driver’s entrance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, something that many Marvel fans have been wanting to see happen with the Star Wars franchise star for years.
Word that he could be in “final talks” for the role seems to be promising, but it should be noted that other actors have been rumored for the part. You star Penn Badgley is another actor whose name as come up in recent months, and for his part, he said he couldn’t “confirm nor deny” those rumors when asked about it on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. As the actor was being intentionally vague, it seems possible he had in fact had talks with Kevin Feige about possibly playing the role, even if he ultimately isn’t the one cast.
“I can’t reveal that,” he said of the Reed Richards casting rumors. “Neither confirm nor deny. No, I don’t know what to say about that.”
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No casting announcements have been made by Marvel Studios, so it’s still uncertain who will be playing the Fantastic Four superheroes. Also among the names rumored for Reed Richards is John Krasinski, as he played the part in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but notably as a Variant Mister Fantastic. He has since said he hasn’t had further conversations with Marvel Studios about reprising that role and figured his time in the role was a one-off.
“There aren’t any discussions at all,” Krasinski told TheWrap in December. “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.”
Fantastic Four will be released in theaters on Feb. 14, 2025.