Why Isn’t John Krasinski Playing Mr. Fantastic in Fantastic Four?

Marvel Studios announced the cast of The Fantastic Four, which will officially bring Marvel’s First Family to the MCU. However, Reed Richards already appeared in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and he wasn’t played by Pedro Pascal. So, why isn’t John Krasinski playing Mr. Fantastic in Fantastic Four?

Why Isn’t John Krasinski Playing Mr. Fantastic in Fantastic Four?

Mr. Fantastic and John Krasinski have been connected for a long time. Years before Marvel Studios even got the rights to the Fantastic Four, fans were clamoring for The Office star to play the iconic hero. They even went as far as to fancast Krasinski’s wife, Emily Blunt, as Susan Storm. It would take a while, but fans would get their wish in Multiverse of Madness.

While traveling the multiverse, Strange and his companion, America Chavez, end up on Earth-838, which is home to a group known as the Illuminati. Tasked with making the tough choices, the Illuminati, which includes variants of Black Bolt, Peggy Carter, Charles Xavier, Captain Marvel, Baron Mordo, and Reed Richards, captures Doctor Strange because they view him as a threat.

Related: Who Is Fantastic Four’s The Thing Actor Ebon Moss-Bachrach?

They all meet horrible ends at the hands of the Scarlet Witch, especially Mr. Fantastic, who gets turned into spaghetti. However, his presence in the film made a lot of people assume that Krasinski would return when the MCU was ready for a Fantastic Four film. That’s obviously not happening, though, so let’s dive into why Krasinski is leaving the MCU behind.

The whole situation boils down to the fact that the idea was never really discussed. The actor told The Wrap in 2022 that, “There aren’t any discussions at all, the only discussion I had was actually in the second-to-last week of Jack Ryan.” It’s possible that Krasinski didn’t want to sign a multi-picture deal, or Marvel was always looking to go in a different direction. Either way, even if Pascal was the man for the job, fans at least got a glimpse of what Krasinski could bring to the role in Multiverse of Madness.

And that’s why John Krasinski isn’t playing Mr. Fantastic in Fantastic Four.

The Fantastic Four hits theaters on July 25, 2025.