Is John Krasinski the Best Mr. Fantastic for the MCU?

There are several what-if scenarios regarding the Marvel Cinematic Universe and one of the biggest revolves around John Krasinski, who at one point was up for the role of Captain America. That didn’t work out, but Krasinski’s name has come up again, this time in regards to the role of the Fantastic Four leader Mister Fantastic Reed Richards. Fans have wanted this casting for a long time now, and the recent news that Krasinski had a Zoom call with Marvel Studios has only made fans want it more. In this week’s episode of ComicBook Nation, ComicBook.com’s official podcast, the cast discussed the possible casting, namely if the role is actually the best one for Krasinski, and the cast was kind of split.

For me, it comes down to the character he’s playing, and to say I don’t have the highest opinion of Reed Richards is, well, an understatement, especially if you watch the video above. Reed Richards is known in the books for being one of the most intelligent people on the planet, but he’s also kind of a jerk with a God Complex at times, and he’s not really been the best husband and father either, putting his scientific or logic-based goals ahead of those who love him most.

This is the guy who built a prison for superheroes to house his friends, after all, not to mention planting a chip inside his son to keep him from being recognized as a mutant, and did it without telling him. Those are just a few instances mind you, and Krasinksi, in general, is an extremely likable guy.

That’s actually why Charlie thinks he’s best for the role, as he brings a likability to the character that Richards needs and can mold the character into a moral compass figure within the modern MCU, an MCU that remember doesn’t have Captain America or Iron Man any longer. Now, that isn’t really who the character is in the comics, and I’m not sure I want Richards to become that moral compass that others follow, as he is better as a Tony Stark-like character that has someone more grounded to play off of.

Kofi thinks that can be Sue Storm though, the Invisible Woman, who can act as the more grounded personality but also can call him out as no one else can, something Charlie appreciates from the current Fantastic Four comics. As for who should play that role, Janell is all for Krasinski’s real-life wife Emily Blunt taking it on, but she’s already passed on two Marvel roles, so we’ll have to wait and see.

Kofi also brought up the possibility of introducing The Maker, a broken version of Richards from the Ultimate Universe, and if that’s the case you would have a good version of the character and an evil one to work off of, so that would be a way to get around making Richards less likable.

You can check out our full discussion in the video above, and you can listen to the ComicBook Nation podcast every Wednesday and Friday right here on ComicBook.com or on your favorite podcast player! As always feel free to reach out to us on Twitter, and you can find us @KofiOutlaw, @MattAguilarCB, @JanellWheeler, and @CharlieRidgley!