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John Krasinski is no stranger to taking on big projects. He directed, and is starring in, the upcoming horror thriller A Quiet Place alongside his wife, Emily Blunt, which is getting lauded by critics and box office alike. Krasinski, who has been on the MCU radar before as runner-up to Chris Evans for the role of Captain America, would almost seem serendipitous that he, who lost out to Chris Evans, could now take the reins of the franchise that kicked off Evans’ career. A role like this could potentially launch Krasinski into the same level of stardom that Evans currently has, thanks to his performance as Steve Rogers.
In a recent interview with Screenrant, Krasinski said:
“Oh yeah, the Fantastic Four. I would love that! I mean listen, I’m still getting into the whole superhero thing. I didn’t read comics as a kid, not as many, I read some but not as much, but I’m a huge superhero fan so yeah, I’d love to do something like that. If they’re are any left, a lot of these have been taken but the ones that are left, yeah, I would love to do something like that. And listen, I’d love to work with her again so any chance I got would be great.”
Guess who would love to see that!? Krasinski is no stranger to fame, winning over hearts on The Office, as well as proving himself to carry his weight on the big screen both behind the scenes and in the spotlight.
What Makes Krasinski Right for Reed?
The casting for the First Family just never seemed to work for some reason. Call it a lack of chemistry, but Ioan Gruffudd and Jessica Alba in Fantastic 4 (2005) & Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) were not a fantastic pairing. The only one who walked away from that franchise unscathed was The Human Torch, Chris Evans, who ditched the spandex… for more spandex… and the role of a lifetime as Captain America (2011-Present).
Then in 2015 came the reboot no one was looking for, handing the role of Reed Richards off to Miles Teller. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Miles Teller. Give me some Whiplash any day of the week and I’m along for the ride. But besides the entire premise of the film, and great actors being cast and wasted, it’s best to just pretend this one never happened.
Now, let’s talk Krasinski. Any man who takes over the MCU Reed Richards is not going to be a throwaway. At 38 years old, he’s really in his prime to take on a franchise of his own, while other actors like Robert Downey Jr are just now turning 53 (Happy Birthday RDJ!) this gives Marvel a decade or more to use Krasinski to develop the character, the essence of the Fantastic Four family, the team dynamic, and most importantly, take on some of the galaxies nastiest villains that have yet to be seen.
I’m sure with the ‘Infinity Overload’ we’ve been receiving for the next few weeks, it’s doubtful that any headway will be made on potential casting for this essential reboot. Still, it’s interesting timing that Marvel recently planted the seed that they see a new Fantastic Four in the future, and John Krasinski being pressed about having interest in the role. Not only does Krasinski have the charisma of a leading man, he has that rare Hollywood normalcy that can be seen when he’s giving an interview or appearing on late night shows. Marvel is known for planning for the long game; I can think of no better sure bet than John Krasinski.