Adam Driver Allegedly Turns Down Fantastic Four

Adam Driver was rumored to be a frontrunner in the lead role for Marvel’s much-hyped Fantastic Four movie, but the actor appears to have dropped out.

That’s according to a source at Marvel, who was referenced on the latest episode of the The Hot Mic podcast. Host Jeff Sneider mentions Disney offered the role of scientist genius/very stretchy man Reed Richards to Driver in Spring, but the actor has since turned it down.

“This contradicts some stuff some we’ve put out there in the past, but…this comes from someone apparently working on the Fantastic Four movie,” says Sneider. “They said that Adam Driver was never really engaged in this. They sent Adam Driver the script a while back and he said that he couldn’t connect with the character on the page, and he passed very early on.”

What happened?

Apparently, Disney sent Driver the script, but he decided it wasn't for him, and so the idea of casting him died. That’s not to say a newer, better script couldn't come along and entice the Kylo Ren actor back, but after starring in three Star Wars films back to back, entering the MCU is a big commitment, especially for a role in a pivotal, and sure-to-be long-running Marvel franchise.

Rumors continue to swirl around the film as Marvel tries to lock down its core four. Names like Margot Robbie, Jodie Comer, Daveed Diggs, Paul Mescal, and Vanessa Kirby have all come up, but so far, there’s been no announcement. Check out our the most convincing fancasts in our article Fantastic Four: 4 Reed Richards actors rumored.

With this being the third crack at nailing the classic comic book series, after a maligned 2005 film and an even more poorly received 2015 reboot, Marvel will want to make sure it hits big this time. And that all starts with finding the right Reed Richards.

Fantastic Four is scheduled to release May 2, 2025.