How’d John Krasinski do as Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness? Not great, apparently, as Marvel Studios is looking to hire someone else to play the role for what might be one of the studio’s next big superhero blockbusters.
Per a report that Deadline shared yesterday, sources with the publication have revealed that Pedro Pascal is in talks to star as Richards for the new Fantastic Four film, a new interpretation of the superhero family that will be managed by Marvel Studios rather than what was 20th Century Fox.
Nothing seems to be set in stone yet, but Deadline suggests that Pascal, who already has a bunch of other big projects lined up, may be practicing his stretching skills fairly soon:
…scheduling is still being worked out, but multiple sources close to the negotiations are saying it’s headed in the right direction for Pascal to do this and his other future projects. Pascal has a full dance card that includes Gladiator 2, which is expected to go into production before the end of the year, as well as his popular HBO series The Last Of Us, which is expected to shoot next year as well as Zach Cregger’s Weapons.
And while there’s no word yet on who might be playing the other members of the Fantastic Four, which would include Susan Storm (Invisible Woman), Johnny Storm (Human Torch), and Ben Grimm (The Thing), whoever wins these roles should have some decent chemistry with Pascal, as Deadline explains:
As for other members of the team, that can now be worked out as it was essential to figure out who would be playing Richards before they could go out with offers to others. The hope would be to shoot early next year, so expect this cast to fill out quickly with director Matt Shakman currently in pre-production at Pinewood Studios in England. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige will produce.
There’s been at least three Fantastic Four films so far, including the 2005 film, the Silver Surfer sequel, and the reboot, which wasn’t received too well by fans.
Krasinski, who shows up as Reed in a cameo role for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, explodes after being turned into spaghetti by Scarlet Witch: