Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness: 10 Mister Fantastic Variants Who Could Show Up
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness seems to contain countless cameos which are sure to delight movie-goers. Amongst the rumored appearances is Mister Fantastic, who has led Marvel's first family since its inception and has been portrayed through a variety of lenses. Reed Richards is one of the comic book universe's most complex characters and has yet to make his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
It's very plausible that a familiar Variant of the Fantastic Four member could appear in the film from either the page or the screen. These iterations of Mister Fantastic all have something unique to offer, whether it's their choice of costume, their charismatic portrayal or the alternative point of view that the character could bring to the foreshadowed Illuminati.
It's no secret that fans have been clamoring to see John Krasinski in the role of Mister Fantastic, alongside his wife Emily Blunt as Sue Storm. The likelihood of that happening is pretty small, but Marvel has been known to play into fan service before.
Krasinski would be an incredible Reed Richards and bring both a lot of humor and gravity to the role. What's more, with the Multiverse involved he could very easily be a Variant and not the MCU's main choice for the character, meaning audiences get the best of both worlds.
The original Fantastic Four film from 1994 was never officially released because of its poor quality. Amongst the cast was Alex Hyde-White who portrayed Reed Richards. It's fair to say that this isn't the best portrayal of the Marvel team on the big screen.
However, considering it looks as if Multiverse Of Madness is to be a celebration of the company's history in film and TV, it would be fun to see Hyde-White return in some capacity, as a quick nod to that infamous project. The costumes alone are certainly memorable, paying homage to the early comics.
Fantastic Four and Rise Of The Silver Surfer are arguably the definitive iteration of the FF on screen. Out of all of the previous installments, this is the movie most likely to tie into the larger MCU considering its nostalgic feel and potential to have a Chris Evans Human Torch Variant.
The incredibly talented Ioan Gruffudd portrayed Reed Richards here and managed to combine his sheer intelligence with a bit of ego and yet complete charm. It's a masterful performance even if the scripts sometimes let the actor down. Perhaps it's this Mister Fantastic that could serve as part of the Illuminati thus bringing his scientific knowledge to the cabel.
Fant4stic was the 2015 reboot attempt on the Fantastic Four franchise that left a lot to be desired. While the casting choices were commendable, it was what was going on behind the camera that let the rest of the team down. Miles Teller portrayed Reed Richards here.
He had all the tools to succeed in the part but the film failed to help Teller deliver on his full potential. The actor certainly deserves another shot in the role, as does the rest of the team. A Michael B. Jordon Human Torch Variant would play into the MCU well and these costumes stand out!
The Future Foundation era of the team boasted a variety of alternative, yet still powerful members. With an eye on how humanity could evolve and what the FF could do to help that advancement, Reed Richards was finally at the top of his game.
The white suits are completely iconic to comic book fans and would pop on-screen while setting a Future Foundation Variant apart from potential other Reed Richards appearances. Technologically he is far superior too, with this version perhaps supplying the Illuminati with the resources needed to build their legion of droids.
The Ultimate Universe has heavily impacted the portrayal of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Indeed, the versions of Nick Fury and Hawkeye for example are inspired by the Ultimate line of comics. It's possible that Reed Richards could follow a similar approach on screen.
The Ultimate version of Mister Fantastic goes by the name of Maker. He's a villainous Variant obsessed with advancement without caring about the cost. He created his Venom Symbiote and has tried to enhance his abilities to both his detriment and success. Evil versions of any Marvel character could show up in Multiverse Of Madness so this is a plausible candidate.
Although the 1990s movie might have paid homage to the classic iteration of the Fantastic Four, it would still be great to see a fully realized version of those early costume designs, and a Reed Richards who is very much out of his depth. That might even be the path the MCU's official version take.
The origins of Marvel's first family are always intriguing, although Marvel Studios may want to avoid replaying familiar narrative beats. Regardless, some of the most powerful members of the group have donned that classic suit and it would be different to see a period version of the team rather than the familiar modernized variations.
The Zombie Universe has already factored into the MCU and it appears that both Wanda and Doctor Strange will be meeting their decaying counterparts. That could happen to absolutely any other given character within Multiverse Of Madness, including Reed Richards.
The comic books showed that some of these heroes kept their original gifts even when they had been transformed. Since Mister Fantastic is one of the smartest people in the world, not only are his stretching abilities maintained, but he is a significant risk because of his quick thinking. A Zombie Mister Fantastic would be a real threat to Strange and his team.
The modern version of Reed Richards is a lot more complex than any other portrayal. Not only is the costume unique to the source material without any faithful adaptations to screen, but the character is incredibly flawed. He makes some of the toughest decisions, many of which make him vitally unpopular amongst the superhero community and his team.
The version seen throughout the Civil War in particular and as part of the Illuminati afterward would be a perfect match for the kind of character the MCU might need as part of their respective Multiversal team. Logic trumps emotion and that's when Richards is truly at his most dangerous.
The connection between the Richards family and Kang The Conquerer is extremely complex. Supposedly Kang is a descendant of Reed and Doctor Doom named Nathaniel. There are plenty of Variants of Kang as well though, making the timeline of the character even more confusing.
The MCU and Multiverse Of Madness might want to take a different approach. It's plausible that to simplify this plot, Kang is a Reed Richards from an alternative timeline. Therefore, He Who Remains could very much be a Variant of the Mister Fantastic fans could be permanently getting.