Glenn Howerton would love to be Mr. Fantastic. Rumors are beginning to circulate about how the actor might become involved in the MCU. The star did an interview with a popular social media influencer, and it started the ball rolling on the possibility that Dennis from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia might one day become Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four. It isn’t that far out of the question. Howerton has connections with Matt Shakman, who’s directing the MCU Fantastic Four reboot, and once had a job directing Always Sunny.

Mr. Fantastic has been a popular role for fan casting ever since John Krasinski appeared in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Recently, just about any actor with dark hair and a slim build has been up for the role, but Glenn Howerton might bring something to Reed Richards that your average fan wouldn’t expect: depth. There are a lot of actors out there that seem like the perfect fit for Mr. Fantastic, but the characters that Howerton plays demonstrate that he can bring an empathetic flaw to this paragon of genius in the Marvel universe. Howerton might be the only actor capable of showing us that Reed Richards is human.

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Mr. Fantastic is a “Perfect” Person

     Marvel Comics 

Mr. Fantastic is one of those characters in the Marvel universe that are completely above reproach. Reed Richards is a leader of his own little corner of Earth-616, and since his creation, he has rarely made a mistake or been proven wrong. Everything he does, he has done for the good of his family, the Fantastic Four. In the comic book series Secret Wars, his efforts to defeat the Beyonder were only made in error because they were aimed at stopping the smaller fights first, and couldn’t tackle his larger enemy.

Mr. Fantastic is a lot like Captain America, in the way that both of them are perfect exemplars of the utmost moral standards. Reed Richards can do no wrong in the same way that Steve Rogers was unable to. Audiences spent the first three phases of the MCU observing how perfect Rogers was that, eventually, his character began to parody himself. Sam Wilson might be holding the shield instead now, but viewers might not need another “perfect man” to lead the MCU.

The one thing we know about the coming Fantastic Four movie is that it will not be an origin story. Kevin Feige has stated that he wants to do something different with the Fantastic Four. “A lot of people know this origin story,” Feige said. “A lot of people know the basics. How do we take that and bring something that they’ve never seen before? We’ve set a very high bar for ourselves with bringing that to the screen.” That’s not surprising considering the last few attempts at a Fantastic Four movie have not been very successful. Well, the thing that audiences have never seen before might come in the form of Glenn Howerton.

Glenn Howerton Could Be the Reed Richards We Need

     NBC

Those who are familiar with Howerton’s work might find it surprising to try and cast him in the role of Reed Richards. Most fans know him from his work as Dennis on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and most fans who have seen that know Dennis is no Mr. Fantastic, even if he thinks he is. Many others will know Howerton from A.P. Bio, where he played Jack Griffin, a disgruntled Philosophy professor who manipulates his students into helping him get revenge on his former colleagues.

Neither of these characters resembles anything close to who Reed Richards is meant to be. They are actually something of the evil mirror images of Mr. Fantastic. Both Dennis and Mr. Griffin are intellectuals, or so their ego tells them. Both selfishly manipulate people to achieve their goals. And both are willing to sacrifice their ethics in order to get what they want. Look at Mr. Fantastic’s character, and you’ll find the exact opposite description. If Glenn Howerton were to draw some kind of inspiration from these characters, he might give them both the confidence and stability to be who they both say that they are. In the end, you could have a Mr. Fantastic who is everything he is in the comics, with the added dimension of coming from a place that is fundamentally flawed.

Glenn Howerton is the perfect person to play Mr. Fantastic, not because of his heroic jawline or stalwart stare, but because he can bring something to the character that no audience has ever seen before. If Howerton could find a way to turn his goofy, narcissistic characters around, you’d get a genius who was informed by mistakes, a Reed Richards that was capable of leading the Marvel family who once came from an abusive home in Philadelphia. There should be more to these characters than their costumes, especially in a person like Reed Richards, and Glenn Howerton might be the one to give it to us.