Who will play Reed Richards? John Krasinski or Penn Badgley, 'Fantastic Four' casting rumors debunked!

The Fantastic Four Casting Puzzle Continues – A Marvel Mystery!

It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's just another casting rumor for Marvel's Fantastic Four, which was swiftly debunked. The suspense over who will play Reed Richards in the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to build. Are you ready for some superhero-sized sleuthing?

The Rumor Mill: Penn Badgley as Mister Fantastic

Fans of Marvel's Fantastic Four were sent into a frenzy when Devin Faraci speculated on the Marvelvision podcast that Penn Badgley, the star of You, “probably has the role [of Mister Fantastic] already.” The comments, as reported by Heroic Hollywood on August 29, 2022, ignited speculation that the actor had shot to the top of Marvel’s Fantastic Four casting list. 

But wait! Before the fan art started flooding in, Faraci clarified on Twitter that his comments were mere speculations. “My source on this is Reddit and gut instinct, nothing more,” he stated, putting a sudden halt to the excitement.

A Fan-Favorite: John Krasinski's Brief Stint as Reed Richards

In the realm of alternate universes, John Krasinski, The Office star, gave fans a taste of his Mister Fantastic in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Though quickly killed off by Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch, fans can't seem to shake the idea of Krasinski reprising the role.

Director Sam Raimi's comments, however, suggest that Marvel Studios' head Kevin Feige may have only wanted Krasinski for this alternate universe version—just a fun nod to endless online fan-castings.

A Reed Richards for Our Universe: The Search Continues

So where does this leave Reed Richards for the primary MCU universe? As Fantastic Four's release date on May 2, 2025, inches closer, fans are left puzzling over who will embody the leader of Marvel's original superhero team.

With no insider information to lean on, it seems the casting of Reed Richards remains Marvel's best-kept secret. All that's left for fans is to wait, speculate, and perhaps take to Reddit for their gut instincts. After all, as Devin Faraci reminds us, sometimes a rumor is just that—nothing more.”

Keep your eyes peeled, dear readers, and stay tuned for more updates. Who knows, the next tweet or podcast might just unravel the Marvel mystery that has us all on the edge of our seats!

Several parts of the text in this article, including the title, were generated with the help of an AI tool.