After 20th Century Fox damn near destroyed the X-Men franchise by putting Simon Kinberg in charge, it's no great surprise Marvel Studios isn't rushing to bring those mutants back to the big screen. However, with seven years having passed since Josh Trank's disastrous Fantastic Four reboot (which was besieged by Kinberg's creative interference), there are plans for Marvel's First Family to return.
Spider-Man: No Way Home director Jon Watts will helm this new take on the iconic superhero team, while it was recently rumoured that production will begin in earnest next year.
When the casting process does start, there's one name, in particular, fans are hoping to see at the top of the call sheet. John Krasinski has been the top pick to bring Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic to life in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for several years now, and it's not hard to see why.
The talented actor (and filmmaker) has the right look and demeanour for Reed, and as this is a character who needs to have a commanding presence on screen as the leader of the Fantastic Four, it's hard to think of a better actor than Krasinski. He's expressed interest in the role in the past, but whether he'd be willing to sign on to join the MCU obviously remains to be seen.
This piece of fan art offers a grounded take on Reed that looks like it could fit nicely into the aesthetic of the MCU. That costume design is pretty much spot on, so let's hope we see something like this in Fantastic Four.