Matt Smith Is Marvel's Reed Richards In Wacky Fantastic Four Concept Design

The final selection for Marvel's first family, the Fantastic Four, still has yet to be confirmed, but that hasn't stopped the whispers circulating about who will make it into the Baxter Building. In the case of its leader, Reed Richards, aka Mister Fantastic, one name linked to the part is former Whovian Matt Smith. It certainly makes for a compelling choice having the former Doctor become one of the most brilliant minds in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so much so that artist Josh, aka @clements.ink, shared what that could look like.

Commenting on the image that he got Smith quite literally wrapped up in, Josh said, "With every new '[F]antastic [F]our' casting rumour, I can't help but be a fan of Matt Smith as Reed the most, I think he'd kill it." He wasn't the only one to think so, with @mattjamess21 saying, "I think Matt [w]ould be [an] amazing Reed!" and @sentinelofstories adding, "This would be amazing!!! Matt Smith is my fave [D]octor and if this happens, I would be so happy!!"

Besides Matt Smith, Adam Driver, Penn Badgley, and in a bizarre casting rumor, "Spider-Man" star Jake Gyllenhaal have also been linked to Mister Fantastic. When it comes to the former Time Lord, however, his chances for the gig seem to be going back and forth.

On August 1, leaker Daniel Richtman broke the rumor that Smith got into the running for the role just before the start of the SAG-AFTRA strike. This was followed up by the Streamr, which, after having previously confirmed with Smith's reps that he was not cast for the role of Reed Richards, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, "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."

The only thing stopping the world from knowing who will be taking the role is the SAG-AFTRA strike. As director Matt Shakman explained to Collider, "Once that's resolved, there'll be a plan at that point, but I can't say too much." Making sure not to pencil in any dates on the calendar, he added, "There will be an announcement at some point! I know that the internet is very excited to find out, and I'm excited to share it. I just can't do it yet." So who knows? Smith might find himself in a fantastic situation sometime soon after all.

This piece was written during 2023's SAG-AFTRA strike. To learn more about why actors are currently on strike, click here for an up-to-date explainer from our Looper team.