Why isn’t John Krasinski coming back as Reed Richards?

The Fantastic Four movie we’ve all been waiting for isn’t going to be exactly how we imagined it, and this has everything to do with John Krasinski.

Despite how much some folks wanted to see the actor return to the MCU in the role of Reed Richards (and how impactful it could be if he did), it seems like things have taken a turn. It’s not an unpleasant turn, don’t get me wrong. There’s no doubt that Pedro Pascal will play the character to perfection if Deadline’s report proves true, but the disappointment over what may potentially be lost is understandable.

In all honesty, Krasinski stepping away from the role is an outcome that should have been expected by the Marvel fandom. After all, in late 2022 the actor affirmed that there weren’t any discussions for him to return, implying that his portrayal of the character was merely a one-time thing. Of course, the situation could’ve changed since that time, but with the constant rumors about other actors taking over the part, the chances kept getting slimmer.

After all is said and done, though, there is a question at the forefront of Marvel fans’ minds. Why not have Krasinski come back as Mr. Fantastic, instead of finding someone else to play the part? Even though his version of Richards met his demise in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, we’ve seen the same actors play variants of their characters before, thus, it wouldn’t be far-fetched for this to be the case in Fantastic Four. So why won’t it be?

Do we know why John Krasinski won’t be in Fantastic Four?

Unfortunately, we don’t have an explanation for why Krasinski won’t be back to the MCU as Mr. Fantastic. Not yet at least. For starters, it’s not clear whether the decision to pass the baton came from the folks at Marvel or from the actor himself.

There are plenty of reasons why Krasinski may have chosen not to venture into this project, but as most people know by now, scheduling conflicts are always a big problem in the film and TV industry. Currently, the star is busy directing, producing, writing, and acting in the fantasy comedy IF, so between that, his family, and other potential upcoming projects, it’s worth considering the possibility that Krasinski simply can’t commit to continuing to play Richards in the MCU. Or maybe he just doesn’t want to. That’s fair, too.

That said, the simpler explanation is perhaps that Marvel’s casting directors have other stars in mind for the character. Exactly why that may be is up in the air, though. It seems like we’ll have to wait for someone to comment on the situation, and until then, all we can do is speculate.