A recent development seems to have surfaced amidst an inconclusive quest to find suitable contenders to play Reed Richards in MCU’s Phase 6 endeavor, Fantastic Four. Following reports that detailed Adam Driver’s disinterest in the character ultimately leading him to turn down the project, fans of the uber-renowned franchise fell back on House of the Dragon star Matt Smith as the definitive answer to their never-ending prayers.
Much to their dismay, a recent report details a disheartening twist. Turns out, the Doctor Who alum may not be starring as Mister Fantastic in the upcoming Matt Shakman-helmed film. This revelation comes at a time when details surrounding the potential Fantastic Four cast continue to remain shrouded in secrecy, with rumors and speculations constantly swaying minds and creating doubts.
Adam Driver Could Not Connect With MCU’s Fantastic Four
Among the latest reports that revealed hope for some and disappointment for others, one detailed how the Marriage Story talent Adam Driver allegedly rejected the Phase 6 Matt Shakman-helmed endeavor. Previously, many speculations emerged around the actor’s involvement with the notable franchise. Some long-time fans even advocated for Driver’s on-screen portrayal of the Marvel superhero. However, as is the case with most rumored reports, this plausibility was put to rest.
In a recent episode of The Hot Mic podcast with John Rocha and Jeff Sneider, news broke of the 65 alum rejecting the opportunity to star as MCU’s definitive Mister Fantastic. Here, the tip that was received by Sneider elaborated that Adam Driver was not able to connect with the character in the script that he was given. Consequently, early in the casting process, the 39-year-old actor turned down the offer.
Following was the statement made by Jeff Sneider:
“This contradicts some stuff some we’ve put out there in the past, but…this comes from someone apparently working on the Fantastic Four movie. They said that Adam Driver was never really engaged in this. They sent Adam Driver the script a while back and he said that he couldn’t connect with the character on the page, and he passed very early on.”
Related: Adam Driver’s Reed Richards in MCU’s Fantastic Four Reboot Reportedly Confirmed
In the podcast, it was additionally mentioned that Marvel could potentially choose to approach the Hollywood star again in the future with Josh Friedman’s reworked Fantastic Four script. For now, we can conclude that the initial claims surrounding the actor’s involvement were not on-point and two times Oscar-nominee Adam Driver has formally taken himself out of the running to play Reed Richards.
As if this weren’t enough, a recent source confirms that Matt Smith, someone that fans turned to amidst the news of Driver’s bleak rejection, was reportedly not cast as the MCU superhero.
Matt Smith’s Representatives Have Confirmed Disappointing News
Roughly a few weeks back, a mixed reaction amongst MCU fans was triggered following rumors of Doctor Who actor Matt Smith‘s probable association with Fantastic Four. As most speculations lack official validation, many believed that Adam Driver would reportedly be swapped with Matt Smith when it came to donning the role of Reed Richards. These assumptions recently garnered a basis when entertainment scooper Daniel Richtman detailed that Smith was offered the role of Mister Fantastic before the commencement of the SAG-AFTRA strike.
However, whether or not the actor took up the offer remained supposedly unclear. Until now.
As per Streamr Entertainment, who sought an independent confirmation from the Morbius actor’s reps, Matt Smith reportedly was not cast as Reed Richards in Fantastic Four as of June 28, 2023. The information has brought forth a sense of relief amongst fans who deemed Smith unsuitable for the depiction. Does this signify the talent’s momentary and rumored affiliation with the franchise coming to an end? Well… we can’t tell for sure.
In a follow-up quote retweet, Streamr Entertainment has stated the following:
“We again reached out today and, instead of a confirmation or flat out denial as was previously made, we were told, “No comment,” on whether Matt Smith was cast in the upcoming ‘FANTASTIC FOUR’ movie.”
Once more, it appears that there has been no reliable confirmation of the potential cast of the movie. Fans have been left yet again to rely on never-ending speculations and rumors. While Fantastic Four is scheduled for release on May 2, 2025, the viewers who are anxiously awaiting concrete, verifiable news about the movie and the details surrounding it may need to consider the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.
With so many external factors at play, it would be interesting to see who ends up portraying the well-known Marvel character in the upcoming future.
Source: Streamr Entertainment
