The rumor that Adam Driver could be starring in the upcoming Fantastic Four movie is gaining more traction as new reports suggest he's a frontrunner for the role of Reed Richards. As it stands, we know that there's a Fantastic Four reboot that's planned to be released by Marvel Studios in 2024. The cast has not yet been announced for the project and it remains unclear who will be playing superheroes that make up the titular foursome.
Various names have popped up in the rumor mill for the Fantastic Four characters, and there were rumblings last fall that Driver was in consideration for playing the new Mister Fantastic. These rumors are heating back up with new reports suggesting that he's coming very close to getting the part. Per a new report from The Direct, Driver is "Marvel Studios' top casting choice to play the new Reed Richards." That follows a separate claim from Beyond the Trailer's Grace Randolph that Driver is a "frontrunner for a certain stretchy role."
Of course, as none of this has been officially confirmed, it's best to treat these reports as rumors at this time. There have been a lot of rumors lately about the movie's casting, and we may not be too far off before official announcements are made. In recent months, there were reports that Elvis star Austin Butler was campaigning for the Human Torch role while Nope star Brandon Perea was also gunning for that part. The Last of Us star Diego Luna has also been rumored for Reed Richards, prompting a response from the actor to weigh in last month.
"It’s just incredible the amount of stuff that I see now out there," Luna said on his YouTube channel, suggesting he'd probably be too busy to take on that role, despite the rumors. "The only thing I can tell you is that, for the next two years, I’m busy. In two years, we’ll see if what I want to do is even film."
Who Will Be the Next Live-Action Mister Fantastic?
Disney
We last saw John Krasinski playing the Reed Richards role with a surprise appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. As the character in that film is a variant, it doesn't mean Krasinski will reprise the role for the Fantastic Four movie. There hasn't been any indication that he will be back to reprise that role and it seems likely that it will be recast.
“There aren’t any discussions at all," Krasinski told TheWrap last month about possibly returning to the role, casting doubt on that happening. "Kevin Feige called and said would you ever fly to L.A. and play in our sandbox for a day? I was honored to do it. I flew right from Budapest when we wrapped and went right to the Doctor Strange set. I’m a big fan of all those characters and that world, so to get to play in that sandbox for one day was a real thrill.”