Penn Badgley Responds To Rumors He’s Been Eyed For MCU’s Reed Richards

You leading man Penn Badgley addresses the long-standing Fantastic Four rumors that link him to the Reed Richards role. The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Fantastic Four is one of the most anticipated projects in the coming years. The casting for the movie has been reported to be a hot commodity among Hollywood A-listers, and Badgley’s name has been constantly linked to Fantastic Four amid several rumors.

During an interview on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast to promote Netflix’s newly-released You season 4, Badgley played coy when asked about being fancast in the role of the Fantastic Four‘s Reed Richards.

The actor insisted he could “neither confirm nor deny” the reports of his Reed Richards MCU casting. Badgley also dodged a question about having ever met Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. Check out the full exchange below:

HOROWITZ: Look, you think you’re a celebrity now, Penn. Imagine, just for a second, you stepping into a superhero costume, as many have fan-casted.

BADGLEY: Well… No, I can’t reveal that. Neither confirm nor deny. No, I don’t know what to say about that.

HOROWITZ: Have you ever met Kevin Feige, Penn Badgley?

BADGLEY: No. You know, it’s possible that I have, but not in this context. I might have met him years ago and I wouldn’t, you know, I’m not sure.

Who Will Play Reed Richards In The MCU’s Fantastic Four Movie

The MCU’s Fantastic Four movie will be directed by Matt Shakman, who is no stranger to Marvel Studios, having helmed the MCU’s most talked about series to this day — WandaVision. Shakman has recently given a new update on production for Fantastic Four, revealing that the movie will begin shooting in early 2024. Going by the latest production report, Marvel Studios would have to secure the movie’s main cast by the end of the year, which means Sue, Johnny, Ben, and the Fantastic Four‘s Reed Richards actors will be revealed in 2023.

While speculation has been running rampant about who will be cast in the leading roles of the MCU’s Fantastic Four movie, no other character in the movie has been talked about as much as Reed Richards. It is even possible that the MCU will not need to go looking for another actor to play the role, as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduced John Krasinski’s version of Reed Richards. Krasinski was cast in the movie as a multiversal Mister Fantastic, following years of fan demand for him to play the role. The Doctor Strange sequel’s multiverse Reed Richards died, but the actor could return as the MCU’s Reed.

Krasinski has expressed interest in playing Reed Richards for the MCU’s Fantastic Four movie in the past, and the reception to his scenes in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was overwhelmingly positive, which should boost his chances. However, the rumors around Fantastic Four claim that Marvel is looking for a younger cast — in their 20s to 30s. While that possible description would eliminate the 43-year-old Krasinski, the younger Badgley, at 36, would be in the desired range for the part. Badgley’s popular turn as the intelligent and narcissistic Joe Goldberg in You makes him a perfect candidate to lead the MCU’s Fantastic Four as Reed Richards.