Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness screenwriter reveals if John Krasinski’s Mr Fantastic has an MCU future

Spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ahead!

Marvel’s latest film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has had a strong start at the box office. The Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen-starrer has been loved by fans and critics alike. One thing in particular that has caught the fans’ fancy is the starry cameos in the film. However, fans are now wondering if the cameos were just a big fan service or if they are somewhat of a soft introduction for the actors in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Also read: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: Here’s a list of all surprise Marvel cameos in the film

In the film, as Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) travels to Earth-838, he is introduced to the superhero team called Illuminati. This included a number of celeb cameos, ranging from Patrick Stewart to Hayley Atwell. Among the cameos was John Krasinski making his MCU debut as Reed Richards aka Mr Fantastic. While the character has appeared in films twice before, none of those films was a part of the MCU. There had been rumours about the character coming to the MCU now with Marvel holding the film rights for Fantastic Four and John was a fan favourite to play the leader of the super team.

Talking about heeding the fan’s wishes in terms of casting, Doctor Strange 2 screenwriter Michael Waldron told Variety, “I’m not involved in the casting, but as with all of these performers, I worked really closely with him in bringing that character to life with him and Sam. And especially on that one, because that was the one character that had no real precedent ever in the MCU, at least. Figuring out how we want this guy to be — that was a lot of fun. That particular character is certainly one of my favourite comic book characters.”

However, fans are still in the dark if this cameo does indeed mean Reed Richards will be played by John Krasinski in the MCU. There is a proposed Fantastic Four film within the universe but there is no confirmation on who is starring in it. This has led many fans to speculate if John’s cameo was just a one-off thing. When being asked about the actor’s MCU future, Michael replied, “It’s a question for somebody else.”

Directed by Sam Raimi, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is part of phase 4 of the MCU. The film released in theatres on May 6 and has so far earned over half a billion dollars at the global box office.