Actor Brandon Routh has already played two well-known DC superheroes, but talented artist Skull101ify has shown comic book fans what the actor would look like as the smartest man alive in the Marvel Universe, Dr. Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic.
The fan art places Routh's Reed Richards in his classic blue and black Fantastic Four outfit, complete with the character's iconic grey temples on his forehead. "I loved John Krasinski's portrayal of Reed Richards, but if Marvel needs another Mr Fantastic, Brandon Routh is PERFECT!" Skull101ify captioned the Instagram post, referencing Krasinski's recent appearance as a Reed Richards variant in the 2022 Marvel Studios film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Routh first dipped his toes into the comic book world with the 2006 DC film Superman Returns, playing the title role of Clark Kent/Superman. The actor was contracted to return as the Man of Steel for a sequel to the film, which never materialized due to Superman Returns' poor box office and fan reception. In 2014, Routh returned to the DC Universe in the recurring role of Ray Palmer/Atom in the third season of The CW's Arrow. The character quickly became a favorite among fans of the Arrowverse, which led to a starring role in the spinoff series DC's Legends of Tomorrow alongside other Arrwoverse favorites. The actor also appeared as the Atom on The Flash, Vixen, Supergirl and Batwoman.
The Arrowverse crossover event "Crisis on Infinite Earths" saw Routh reprise his role as Clark Kent/Superman for the first time in over 13 years. Fans well received his return with many voicing an interest in seeing him lead a new Superman film or television series. Other comic book/graphic novel adaptations Routh has starred in include Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2011) and the 2000s animated series The Batman.
Who Will Play the MCU's Mister Fantastic?
Since Krasinski and Marvel Studios have remained coy on if the actor will return as the official Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Mister Fantastic, fans have begun to campaign or showcase fan art of other popular actors in the role of Reed Richards. Besides Routh, fans have expressed interest in seeing You's Penn Badgley or It's Always Sunny's Glenn Howerton as Mister Fantastic. Recent reports have also suggested Jurassic World's Bryce Dallas Howard, Free Guy's Jodie Comer or Jungle Cruise's Emily Blunt are in contention to play Richards' wife and fellow superhero Sue Storm/Invisible Woman in Marvel's upcoming Fantastic Four reboot film. To date, the Reed Richards and Sue Storm roles remain unfilled, as do the Johnny Storm/Human Torch and Ben Grimm/Thing roles.
WandaVision director Matt Shakman will direct Fantastic Four, which will kick off Phase 6 of the MCU. Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer to pen the script for the upcoming MCU debut of Marvel's First Family. While plot details remain scarce, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has stated that the upcoming reboot won't be another origin story and will instead show audiences something they have never seen before.
Fantastic Four opens in theaters on Nov. 8, 2024.
Source: Instagram