Fantastic Four: Matt Smith Talks About Reed Richards Casting Rumors

The writer’s strike, superhero burnout and Marvel’s budget cuts are putting the Fantastic Four movie project in a bind. Despite this, casting rumors continue to grow. We recently reported that names like Adam Driver were possible casting for Reed Richards, among others. However, these A-list stars were way out of Marvel Studios’ budget. Now we have a new name sounding to play Mister Fantastic.  

Matt Smith as Possible Casting for Reed Richards

Image: Marvel Comics

Matt Smith is one of the names being bandied about these days to cast the character of Reed Richards. He participated in many renowned productions, such as Doctor Who and House of the Dragon, which put him in the producers’ spotlight. In addition, he has already made his foray into the world of superheroes with the character of Milo in Morbius. Some comment that he is the favorite for the role after Adam Driver rejected Marvel Studios’ proposal.

These rumors arose before the strike promoted by SAG-AFTRA and the WGA. However, it gained momentum recently when various media asked the actor about the possible casting of Reed Richards, and he refused to comment. This generated rumors about why the actor must avoid saying anything about it.

The first reason would be that he does not know if he would get the role of Mister Fantastic for this new version to be developed by Marvel. This would deny the rumors about his participation. However, there is also the option that he does not want to say anything to avoid revealing that he defied the indications of SAG-AFTRA.

There are several doubts regarding the actor’s participation in this version. However, the Instagram account @clements.ink has already gotten to work imagining the actor embodying the character. Here we leave the design of this fantastic artist. 

Will we see Fantastic Fours Soon?

Image: Marvel/Disney

The new rumor of Reed Richards’ casting has raised the question again, when will we see the movie? The truth seems that Marvel’s Fantastic Four will not have its premiere any time soon. First, we have to consider that the writers’ and actors’ strike is far from being resolved. The studios began calling the WGA for a preliminary meeting yesterday, although they are not getting their hopes up.

As for SAG-AFTRA, they have not yet entered into a conversation, and many believe that this actors’ strike will be worse than the one in the 1980s. If so, the year could end without any kind of solution to this contractual conflict. 

In addition, the cast is far from being defined. The script is not yet ready, and director Matt Shakman stated that he would like actor Adam Driver for this role, but he still refuses to participate. It should also be mentioned that the other elements, such as the Human Torch, the Mole and the Invisible Woman, are missing.

Assuming this was true and we already had the casting for Reed Richards and the rest of the team, there would still be a lot to do. Taking all this into account, we could see the movie in two to three years at least. Marvel has already implemented a rescheduling of its big screen releases. However, these will likely be changed again.

This delay is necessary for the movie to have the quality that fans want. For the moment, we have had one casting of Reed Richards in the MCU, with John Krasinski in Doctor Strange 2. However, this was a cameo and within an elseworld. 

If all goes according to plan, we will see the new team in theaters on July 1, 2025.

Featured Image Via Instagram @clements.ink 

I am a circus aerialist influenced by Dick Grayson and Spider-Man. Fortunate to write about the characters that inspired me. I also have a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and a Master's degree in International Trade.