Doctor Strange writer reveals Mr Fantastic was to be introduced in MCU years ago in deleted post-credits scene

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was fan service of the highest order. Not only did the film bring back some popular faces in familiar Marvel roles, but it also introduced some actors in roles fan had been asking for. One such was John Krasinski who made his MCU debut in a cameo is Reed Richards aka Mr Fantastic. However, the film’s screenwriter has revealed that the character was to be introduced in Marvel films years ago. Also read: Doctor Strange 2 screenwriter reveals if John Krasinski has an MCU future

Mr Fantastic had already been played by two actors on film before John Krasinski’s MCU cameo–Ioan Gruffudd and Miles Teller. In a recent interview, screenwriter Michael Waldron, who wrote both Doctor Strange films, said he had initially planned to introduce the character in the first instalment back in 2016.

In an interview with Empire, Michael said he had written a post-credits scene for Doctor Strange, which introduced Reed and his headquarters–the Baxter Building. “In my very first draft, I wrote a tag just for the hell of it, of the events of the movie being recorded and reviewed by somebody in the Baxter Building, and a stretchy hand coming into frame to run it back. Reed is probably my favorite Marvel Comics character, so I was always gunning to get him in here somewhere,” he said.

The rights of the Fantastic Four characters were with Fox and not Marvel, which is why the characters were not in the MCU. That is probably what stopped the character from appearing in the first Doctor Strange. That changed in 2017 when Marvel’s parent company Disney acquired Fox, which is what made John’s cameo possible.

Now, Marvel Studios is developing a Fantastic Four film but no details about the cast have been revealed. It is unclear if John will reprise his role there or a new actor will be cast. The film, which will be directed by Jon Watts, is scheduled to be released on November 8, 2024.