Editor’s Note: The following article contains spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.Ever since Walt Disney Pictures officially assumed the rights to all the properties under 20th Century Fox, Marvel fans have been speculating about the future of theX-MenandFantastic Fourfranchises. Although fans have always wanted to see The Avengers join forces with The Fantastic Four, studio politics previously prevented the two superhero teams from that happening. However, the acquisition of Fox by Marvel opened up the doors for this potential crossover.
It didn’t take long forKevin Feigeto make the most of the new characters at the MCU’s disposal. During the announcement of the Phase Four slate, Feige teased thatThe Fantastic Fourwas in development, although an official release date has not yet been set. AlthoughJon Watts, director of all three MCUSpider-Manfilms was originally slated to direct the film, Watts recently dropped out of the project.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessgave us our first official tease of what the future ofThe Fantastic Fourin the MCU might look like. When the Doctor Strange that we know (Benedict Cumberbatch) enters the 838 universe, he is greeted by a group of the most powerful superheroes in the multiverse,The Illuminati. Among them isJohn Krasinski, making his MCU debut in the role of Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic. Richards is announced as the “smartest man in the universe.”
While this has led many fans to assume that Krasinski’s cameo indicates that he is officially cast as Reed Richards inThe Fantastic Four, there has not been an official announcement confirming his involvement. The events ofDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessthemselves also indicate that the MCU has many options on how they can incorporate The Fantastic Four into a standalone feature.
Just because Krasinski is playing Richards in the 838 universe does not mean that he is Richards ineveryuniverse. We saw most recently inSpider-Man: No Way HomethatTom Holland’s Peter Parker could coexist with theTobey MaguireandAndrew Garfieldversions. Perhaps the version of Richards that exists in the core MCU timeline looks like Krasinski, but perhaps not. We also can’t assume thatThe Fantastic Fourtakes place in the core MCU timeline. It could take place in our universe (616), the 838 universe, or a different timeline that we haven’t previously been introduced to.
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The events ofMultiverse of Madnessalso present another logical hiccup: the Reed Richards from the 838 universe dies. During the battle against the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Richards is joined by the members of the Illuminati, which include Karl Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofer), Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewartin his MCU debut), Captain Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch) as the new Captain Marvel, and Inhuman Black Bolt (Anson Mount). Wanda destroys him early on in their epic battle. Marvel has proven by now that bringing characters back from the dead is pretty easy, but eventually the MCU will have to start introducingsomestakes.
Marvel has the freedom to not commit themselves to Krasinski, who is certainly in demand as both an actor and filmmaker. With the advent of the Multiverse, Marvel can cast whoever they like as their main First Family going forward. They could even draw from some pre-existing iterations of Mr. Fantastic, althoughIoan GruffuddandMiles Tellermight not be treated with the same amount of fanfare as Maguire and Garfield.
However, this might have also been the perfect way to introduce the new Fantastic Four cast into the MCU. TheFantastic Fourfranchise has not had the greatest track record on the big screen. Both of theTim Storyfilms received highly negative responses from audiences and critics alike (even if some would argue that 2007’sFantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surferdeserves more credit).Josh Trank’s 2015 reboot had a very challenging and highly publicized production, and received some of the most scathing reviews of any modern comic book movie.
Krasinski is a likable, well-known actor at the height of his career; he’s coming off of the success of twoA Quiet Placemovies and Amazon Prime Video’sJack Ryanseries. He’s also beeninterested in the projectfor a while; Krasinski and his wifeEmily Blunthave been fan favorites for the roles of Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic and Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, respectively. The potential of Krasinski directingThe Fantastic Fouris also an exciting one.
Krasinski is currently in pre-production on his next directorial effort,Imaginary Friends, which is set to be released in 2023. This would feasibly give him the opportunity to add another feature to his calendar right after. It’s very likely thatThe Fantastic Fourwill take one of Marvel’s undated slots in 2024, but we still don’t know exactly when the film will be released.
Marvel has announced release dates for unannounced projects on June 15, 2025, as well as February 16, May 3, July 26, and July 03, 2025. It’s also been established that theShawn Levy-directedDeadpool 3,Blade, Shang-Chi 2, and anAnthony Mackie-frontedCaptain Americasequel are all in the works.
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