Original Fantastic Four Star Addresses Potential Avengers: Doomsday Return

Original Fantastic Four star Ioan Gruffudd, who portrayed Reed Richards in the two Fox films from the mid-2000s, addresses the possibility of reprising the role in Avengers: Doomsday. While at an autograph signing at Liverpool Comic Con, the actor was asked by a fan if he would be open to returning as Reed in a future Marvel project. Gruffudd noted he’d be interested if the studio gave him a call, but nothing has happened on that front yet. He claims he has not been contacted about appearing in Avengers: Doomsday.

“If they invited me, in a heartbeat,” Gruffudd said when asked if he’d come back to play Reed Richards again. When specifically asked about Doomsday, Gruffudd was quick to dispel any notions he could be in the film. “No, not at all. I haven’t been invited.”

In late March, during a record-breaking livestream event, Marvel Studios unveiled the official cast for Avengers: Doomsday. In addition to featuring several actors from various Multiverse Saga productions (including the MCU’s rebooted Fantastic Four), the ensemble includes a number of figures from Fox’s X-Men films. Nobody from Fox’s Fantastic Four casts (either the 2000s film or the 2015 reboot) was on the list.

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Disney hasn’t been averse to bringing back old Fantastic Four stars for modern MCU projects. Chris Evans memorably returned as Johnny Storm/Human Torch in last summer’s Deadpool & Wolverine. His iteration of Johnny was revealed to have been sent to The Void, raising the question of what happened to his teammates.

There is the possibility that Gruffudd is playing coy in an attempt to preserve some surprises. Marvel has confirmed there are additional Avengers: Doomsday casting announcements to come at a later date, and the studio doesn’t want that information getting out until it’s time to reveal it. Theoretically, Gruffudd could be part of the second wave of actors in Doomsday, though he might just be telling the truth. Doomsday already sports a full Fantastic Four team that will likely play an integral role. Bringing previous Fantastic Four franchise stars into the fold could potentially distract from the continued development of the characters debuting in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

It’s true Doomsday boasts X-Men actors from the old Fox films, but that’s an apples to oranges comparison. The MCU hasn’t cast its X-Men roster yet, so it’s easier to bring back the established faces from Fox’s series and give them a send off before turning the page. First Steps is positioned as an integral project in Marvel’s slate, not only setting up Doomsday but also perhaps laying the foundation for future Fantastic Four sequels. It would make sense if directors Joe and Anthony Russo wanted to keep the focus on the MCU’s iteration of Marvel’s First Family instead of trying to juggle multiple Fantastic Four teams. Doomsday already has a full plate, and it will prove to be tricky to properly service all of the characters featured. For now, fans might have to keep wondering what happened to Gruffudd’s Reed.