It’s been eight years since Marvel’s Fantastic Four lit up the big screen, and the upcoming reboot has had fans speculating about who should play the original superhero team in the MCU. Earlier today, whispers suggested that Adam Driver is in final negotiations to portray Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic, the leader of the Fantastic Four. As of this moment, none of the major Hollywood trade publications have picked up this news. But if this is really happening, it’s a fantastic choice (pun intended).
John Krasinski portrayed an alternate version of Mr. Fantastic in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and he had previously been fan-cast in the role. Miles Teller was the last actor to star as Reed in 2015’s Fantastic Four, and Ioan Gruffudd preceded him in the role a decade earlier. If Driver does go on to headline the 2025 Fantastic Four reboot, here are five reasons why he would make a great Mr. Fantastic.
1. Star power
The Fantastic Four movie needs a genuine star to hold it together. Mr. Fantastic may not be as flashy a character as Thing or the Human Torch, but he is the leading character on that team. Driver isn’t yet a box office draw on his own, but he has plenty of experience headlining feature films, including The Last Duel, as seen above.
It takes a real screen presence to carry a movie, especially in a blockbuster flick like Fantastic Four. Putting Driver at the center of the movie will give it a strong core, and it will likely elevate his stardom to the next level if he signs on.
2. Driver is an excellent actor
If you’ve ever seen Marriage Story on Netflix, then you know that Driver has some serious dramatic range. In that film, Driver played Charlie Barber, a family man on the verge of a very ugly divorce with his wife, Nicole (Scarlett Johansson). While Charlie is fairly reserved early in the film, his anger is explosive as his marriage falls apart in front of his eyes.
Driver’s intensity was terrific, and while we doubt that Driver would have to push his performance that hard in a Fantastic Four movie, this does demonstrate that he can handle almost anything thrown his way.
3. Adam Driver: action hero?
If you’re going to star in Marvel movie, it helps if you’ve been in action flicks before. After portraying the villainous Kylo Ren in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Driver has taken steps to shore up his solo action credentials. Most recently, Driver had the leading role in 65 as Commander Mills, a man who found himself trapped in the distant past and forced to fight ravenous dinosaurs in order to survive.
Prior to making it big in Hollywood, Driver was also a lance corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps. That’s another reason why he’s so convincing when it comes to portraying action on the big screen.
4. He can balance the light and the dark
After taking on so many heavy roles in films, it’s easy to forget that Driver’s breakout performance was for his role as Adam Sackler in the HBO comedy series Girls. As the boyfriend of Lena Dunham’s Hannah Helene Horvath, Driver wasn’t afraid to make himself look silly or even pathetic. Driver went on to show off more of his comedy skills when he guest-hosted Saturday Night Live and reprised his role as Kylo Ren in an absolutely hysterical parody of Undercover Boss.
This is important because Reed Richards is not simply a stoic scientist type. Reed does have a sense of humor, even if he doesn’t always realize that he’s being funny. And that humor goes a long way toward establishing Reed’s heart and warm feelings for the rest of his team.
5. Driver’s Mr. Fantastic can be a believable romantic partner to Sue Storm
For all of its superhero pageantry, Fantastic Four is about a family. It’s also the love story of Reed Richards and his future wife, Susan Storm. Because Reed can be so reserved, and even emotionally distant at times, the actor who portrays Mr. Fantastic on-screen has to not only embody those qualities, but also serve as an example of the things that Sue loves about him.
That’s why Driver’s experience in films like Tracks will come in handy if he takes the part. Even his roles in Marriage Story and Girls will help him shape his character when he is playing an imperfect man in love. But Reed doesn’t have to be perfect to win Sue’s heart. He just has to be a good man who is willing to share his life with her. From there, a heroic family dynasty is on the horizon.
