Now that Marvel Studios has confirmed that its own Fantastic Four movie is in development, many have speculated who exactly will be playing Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic. There's been some scuttlebutt that Penn Badgley will be the one to play the elastic superhero in the upcoming reboot of the franchise, so recent Fanart has come out giving fans a sneak preview of what that might look like if Badgley is cast in the role.
The Twitter account Rahal Arts depicted Badgley as Richards in light of the rumors that the actor may be next in line to play him in Fantastic Four. The Fanart even included certain features to Richards' character to make Badgley look more authentically like him.
Rahal posted a caption above the Fanart, saying, "Penn Badgley as Reed Richards, saw the news today, decided to make a concept. #ReedRichards #FantasticFour #penbadgley #marvelstudios." Badgley is not only donning the Mr. Fantastic duds, but Rahal also gives Bagley Richard's streaks of gray hair on the side of his head to pull off the iconic Mr. Fantastic look in its entirety. Badgley also wears the same costume that John Krasinski wore in his own iteration of the supe in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Fan reception was not too warm to Krasinski as Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so if they are planning to recast the character with a different actor, Badgley is not the worst option. Badgley has received a lot of attention in recent years for his portrayal as Joe Goldberg in the Netflix hit You, in which he encapsulates a stalker who is actively trying to fight his demons. Casting him as Reed Richards could really help give some twists to the character to make him more human, just like Badgley does as Goldberg. Casting him could potentially open some new ideas for the character.
There have been instances where taking liberties with characters has worked in previous Marvel Studios projects. For example, in the first Doctor Strange movie, Baron Mordo, who is best known as Strange's mortal enemy in the comic book, starts off as an ally for the Master of the Mystic Arts and even mentors him into becoming a sorcerer. It's only once he realizes how much the Ancient One had compromised her values to be as powerful as possible that he ultimately turns against the practice. Instead of being a villain, Marvel made him an antihero. It worked because his arc was believable, all while seamlessly perfecting the act of worldbuilding at the same time. But taking liberty is not always a good idea even if it's something the fans wouldn't see coming.
There have been instances in other superhero media when taking liberties failed very badly. In Batman v Superman, Zack Snyder ultimately makes Batman a killer, which is the one rule fans know Batman ensures above all else that he does not break when he fights crime. He does this because he believes that if he does, he's no better than the man who murdered his parents in cold blood, and more importantly, it would be easier to start killing more criminals. Seeing him kill so many criminals just did not give fans the feeling that they were watching Batman as much as they were watching a cheap interpretation of him. If Marvel Studios casts Badgley as Richards, it would definitely be liberty, but whether it would be a good one would depend on how they execute Mr. Fantastic.
Fantastic Four is currently in development.
Source: Rahal Arts/Twitter