While John Krasinski is best known for his nine seasons as Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom The Office, before he went onto play memorable characters on the big screen, Jake Gyllenhaal is one of the industry’s one of the successful actors who has built a devoted fan following by playing memorable and iconic roles on screen like Homer Hickman, Donnie Darko, etc.
One thing unites the two actors: they are both are a part ofMarvel Cinematic Universe. Gyllenhaal played the character Mysterio in 2019 and Krasinski made his debut as Mr. Fantastic in 2022. It appears that Gyllenhaal is currently being considered for a new role in the MCU which has a connection to Krasinski, if rumors are to be believed. Let’s find out.
Jake Gyllenhaal rumored to be the first choice for Mr. Fantastic
Actor Jake Gyllenhaal appeared as Quentin Beck a.k.a. Mysterio in 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home alongside Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, and Zendaya. Mysterio is a former Stark Industries employee and holographic illusion specialist who masquerades as a superhero from Earth-833 in the multiverse.
The actor was appreciated for his work at the time of the movie’s release, which received a positive response from the audience and the critics, and was praised for its humor, action sequences, and performances by the actors. Now, according to Daniel RPK, a reputed industry insider, since the SAG-AFTRA strike has finally come to a conclusion and actors are now returning to work, Jake Gyllenhaal is being considered for the role of Reed Richards a.k.a., Mister Fantastic in the Fantastic Four Reboot.
The other actors who were speculated in the run for the part are Adam Driver, Penn Badgley, Matt Smith, and Dev Patel. It won’t be the first time an actor in the MCU has played more than one character, as actress Gemma Chan previously appeared in both Captain Marvel and Eternals. Actor Paul Bettany has also appeared in two different characters in the MCU; the voice of J.A.R.V.I.S and Vision.
There has been no confirmation or any statements from the studios or the makers regarding the same, but of course, the rumors are going quite strong.
Also read: Sony Reportedly Hired Spider-Man Star Jake Gyllenhaal as Tobey Maguire Wanted a Hefty Pay Deal
Fans debate over having John Krasinski as Mr. Fantastic rather than Jake Gyllenhaal
Actor John Krasinski gave the Marvel + The Office fans a taste of his Mister Fantastic when he debuted in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness but was quickly killed off by Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch character. The fans of his brief character portrayal appreciated the actor and they expect to see more of him in the MCU.
The rumors of Gyllenhaal being considered for the part of Mr. Fantastic have sent the fans into a frenzy and they have shared their opinions as a user on X asked the followers and fans if,
“Should Jake Gyllenhaal play Reed Richards in MCU Fantastic Four even though he was already Mysterio in Spider-Man: No Way Home?”
Marvel needs to keep John Krasinski at all costs.
— #MusicDefinesMe (@theR5archives) November 11, 2023
He could’ve worked but bec he already played a major character it’s a no from me
— hassan (@mhassan_32) November 11, 2023
To which ardent Marvel fans have replied by saying; “Marvel needs to keep John Krasinski at all costs.” Another user wrote, “No, this is the worst idea I ever heard,” with someone adding, “He could’ve worked but because he already played a major character it’s a no from me.” A user @seildor noted, “I’d be ok with this, would like to see Krasinski keep the role though,” whereas a user went ahead to explain,
No this is the worst idea I ever heard
— billosaurus (@bill64burner) November 11, 2023
Heck no, John Krasinski needs to stay as Reed Richards and Vanessa Kirby should be Sue Storm! #FantasticFour
— aboutnici (@aboutnici) November 11, 2023
https://twitter.com/DaddyDoomMVP/status/1723456667227177130
“Absolutely not, they already teased Krasinski and we have not seen a variant of a major superhero change besides Captain Marvel briefly in Doctor Strange. Maria Rambeau played Captain Marvel, who shifted in the comics. Even Black Bolt was the same actor from the show.”
There has been a mixed response from the audience to the rumors of Jake Gyllenhaal portraying the character of Reed Richards, but in the end, it’s Marvel Studios’ decision.
Frequently asked questions
Has Jake Gyllenhaal been cast as Mr. Fantastic in the MCU?
No. There was no official confirmation. As of this report it was only an unverified casting rumor attributed to industry insider Daniel RPK, who claimed that, with the SAG-AFTRA strike over, Gyllenhaal was being considered for Reed Richards in the Fantastic Four reboot. Marvel Studios had announced nothing, and other names floated in the same speculation included Adam Driver, Penn Badgley, Matt Smith, and Dev Patel.
Why are Marvel fans against Gyllenhaal replacing John Krasinski as Reed Richards?
Fans pushed back largely because Gyllenhaal had already played a major MCU character, Mysterio, in 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, and many felt one actor holding two significant roles in the franchise was a problem. Many also wanted John Krasinski, who appeared as a Mr. Fantastic variant in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, to keep the part, with reactions like “No, this is the worst idea I ever heard.”
Did John Krasinski officially play Mr. Fantastic in the MCU?
Yes, briefly. Krasinski appeared as a variant of Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic among the Illuminati in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but that version was quickly killed off by Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch. Whether he would return for the Fantastic Four reboot was unconfirmed, which is why the rumored recasting drew strong fan pushback.
