Fantastic Four: Penn Badgley stuns as Reed Richards in jaw-dropping image

Marvel fans are ready to see Reed Richards make his canon debut in the MCU, and this awesome image of Penn Badgley suited up as Mr. Fantastic highlights why.

The Fantastic Four aren’t far from Marvel fans’ thoughts these days. The four heroes are finally going to be making their silver screen comeback in November 2024 when they headline their fourth attempted cinematic launch – and, perhaps more importantly, their first in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

It has now been over two years since the initial announcement that let fans know Marvel Studios was ready to welcome the legendary comic book characters into the MCU. That announcement may have come at Disney Investor Day, but fans could see the writing on the wall for sometime before that as Disney’s acquisition of Fox finally saw them regain the film rights to the characters, making their MCU arrival inevitable.

With all of that time, teasing and excitement, there has been a lot of discussion among fans as to who could play Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm in the MCU. One name recently associated with the role of the former, a.k.a. Mister Fantastic, is Gossip Girl and You star Penn Badgley.

In order to give fans an idea of what that casting could look like, this amazing fan art pictures him in the role.

Penn Badgley suits up as Reed Richards in Fantastic Four fan art

 

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A post shared by Rahal Nejraoui (@rahalarts)

This amazing image created by digital artist Rahalarts gives us a glimpse of what Penn Badgely could look like if he played the role of Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mister Fantastic, in Marvel Studios’ upcoming Fantastic Four film.

It features Mr. Fantastic seated (and suited up in the same outfit the variant version of the character wore in Doctor Strange 2) in his Illuminati chair, sporting Badgley’s likeness. If Badgley had been the one in that Doctor Strange scene, he certainly would have looked the part!

Is Penn Badgley playing Reed Richards in Fantastic Four?

It remains unknown who is playing the role of Mister Fantastic in the MCU simply because Marvel Studios has yet to cast the role for the film. However, Penn Badgley has been heavily rumored as a potential choice for Marvel, with various reports suggesting the studio is interested in casting him in the role.

It’s been some time since those rumors surfaced and Marvel has yet to make any casting announcements for the film. Fans were anticipating some announcements at Disney’s D23 Fan Expo event in September, but the studio revealed that there wouldn’t be any, aside from the confirmation that the rumors about Matt Shakman directing were indeed true.

Technically, a version of Reed Richards has already appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe this year, with other favorite John Krasinski making a cameo appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Whether Marvel stays the course or recasts for the main continuity’s version remains to be seen.

One thing is for sure, though, if Badgley is cast, he will do an excellent job! The question is: Is it only a matter of time until we say “Hello, you”, and by “you” mean Reed Richards?

Why was Fantastic Four delayed?

Fantastic Four was initially supposed to close out Phase Four of the MCU but it will now open Phase Six instead. That could be down to the delays in casting and finding a director, but it could also have to do with the importance of the movie to the story.

With the Multiverse Saga reaching its boiling point in Phase Six, it’s entirely possible that the Fantastic Four will have a major role to play in its conclusion. Taking that into account, it would make sense to hold their introduction off until closer to its conclusion.

Would you like to see Penn Badgley play Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic in Fantastic Four? Let us know in the comments below!