Seeing as Harrison Ford is about to enter the Marvel universe himself, I guess it’s only fair that two MCU veterans the studio kicked to the curb earlier this decade should team up to make their own Indiana Jones movie, with none other than Guy Ritchie behind the camera.

Despite the general meh-ness of The Dial of Destiny, the world still loves all things Indiana Jones as much as ever, as proven by the enormous acclaim the new video game The Great Circle is accruing. Ford appears to have hung up his fedora and whip for good, and Disney is probably thinking hard for a way to extend the franchise without him. In the absence of an official new Indy film, Ritchie has stepped in to offer up his own copyright-skimming homage starring none other than Mr. Fantastic and the Mighty Thor herself.

Guy Ritchie, John Krasinski, and Natalie Portman are teaming up to go find the Fountain of Youth

First look at Guy Ritchie’s new film ‘FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH’, starring John Krasinski, Eiza González and Natalie Portman.

Described as a contemporary ‘Indiana Jones’, the film follows siblings who partner on a global heist to find the mythical Fountain of Youth.

(Source: @EW) pic.twitter.com/VwNvFLNL08

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) December 17, 2024

Since making the most financially successful movie of his career with 2019’s Aladdin remake, Ritchie has returned to his bread and butter — pumping out mid-budget actioners that generally star Jason Statham — but next year he’s returning to the family-friendly world with Fountain of Youth, which is described as a “contemporary Indiana Jones” adventure.

Entertainment Weekly has revealed some first-look images from the film, which stars John Krasinski, Natalie Portman, and Eiza Gonzales (reuniting with Ritchie after 2024’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare). This is the first time Krasinski and Portman have worked with either Ritchie or each other, although they both have a very specific shared experience of being killed off by Marvel in 2022 — see Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder.

Fountain of Youth is described as a “family-friendly action-adventure film” that is “in the vein of Indiana Jones but contemporary.” It follows two estranged siblings, Luke (Krasinski) and Charlotte (Portman) Purdue, who partner on a global heist to find the eponymous mythical spring. Luke is said to be an “adventurous (and somewhat reckless) spirit” who has followed in his parents’ archaeological footsteps while Charlotte has put the past behind her and has “chosen a more stable life,” although she’s “thrust back into adventure” when her brother comes a-knocking.

Honestly, with its main cast of characters comprising two mismatched siblings pairing up with what looks to be a cool, action hero expert in the form of Gonzales, Fountain of Youth is sounding more like a redo of The Mummy than Indiana Jones. And considering how poorly the last one of those turned out that’s a little concerning. Dwayne Johnson’s Jungle Cruise also attempted to recapture that Mummy magic but similarly fell far short.

Still, if you catch him on a good day — Sherlock Homes and The Man From U.N.C.L.E., not King Arthur — Ritchie is the safest pair of hands to entrust relaunching a classic movie format in a fresh, thrilling way so Fountain of Youth may turn out to be just what the doctor (Henry Jones) ordered. It’s yet to be handed a specific release date, but we know it’s coming to Apple TV Plus sometime in 2025.

No one can deny that 2024 was a big year for John Krasinski, but there’s one breakout star who the overwhelming majority of the public agrees should have been named People’s Sexiest Man Alive instead.

Manny Jacinto is, indeed, the man of the moment. Though a select few of us were awoken to his charms all the way back in 2016 when he starred as the ultimate himbo Jason Mendoza in NBC’s The Good Place, it was the Star Wars show The Acolyte that brought the Manny Jacinto train to full steam this year. In fact, we’re sure those GAGA for MA-JA who have been shouting out his name for the coveted title of (not People but The People’s) Sexiest Man Alive would tell you Manny Jacinto steams up any room he walks into.

“Manny Jacinto is right there,” “Should have been Manny Jacinto,” “i really thought manny jacinto had a chance omgg,” and “CONGRATS MANNY ON BEING THE SEXIEST MOST SNUBBED MAN ALIVE!,” the people cried.

Manny Jacinto gave Star Wars its sexiest scene yet

After playing a lovable, very attractive idiot for most of his career, Jacinto completely transformed, becoming The Acolyte‘s cold-blooded villain Qimir, and effectively confirming that audiences prefer the bad boys. Disney and The Acolyte creator Leslye Headland definitely knew that too, because the moment, in episode 6, when Qimir calmly undresses, takes a bath, and then exits the water just as slowly became the most widespread video online (and the one with the biggest crossover potential, too, luring in curious eyes that aren’t usually interested in Star Wars) of an otherwise mostly culturally unimpactful series.

Sadly, The Acolyte was canceled due to low viewership but, just as every Jacinto-head began to get antsy that the show’s lack of success had undermined their masterplan to ensure his world domination, the Filipino-Canadian actor landed a role in the sequel to Freaky Friday, aptly titled Freakier Friday. If that movie, which is set to come out in 2025, makes as big of a dent in culture as its predecessor, then Jacinto’s fans could finally secure the ticket to the promised land: the title of People’s Sexiest Man Alive.

People did reveal, however, that Jacinto was a runner-up for the title of Sexiest New Heartthrob, which ultimately went to Saltburn hunk Jacob Elordi. He was apparently tied with Red, White, and Royal Blue‘s Nicholas Galaztzine and The Summer I Turned Pretty‘s Gavin Casalegno. Mind you, these consolation prizes were fan-voted. What happened, Manny Maniac– wait, no, I’ve got it — Mannyacs? No point arguing about it now, if you let that opportunity slip.

We’ve all had a crush on Jim Halpert, so we can’t even be mad that Krasinski got the title

People elected John Krasinski as their sexiest man in 2024 thanks to his successful venture into the world behind the camera over these last few years as the director of the first two A Quiet Place films, the producer and writer of the fourth, and the everything of his 2024 film If, which he wrote, directed, produced, and starred in.

Personally, I think he was at his sexiest while playing the lanky, awkward paper salesman of my dreams, but the chiseled physique he’s perfected in order to transition into the Hollywood-esque action hero in the Jack Ryan series and the 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi film is closer to People‘s usual, much buffer standards.

Every year, People Magazine hosts a competition to decide who the Sexiest Man Alive is. It hits the spot more often than not, as many iconic and popular actors have taken the cover at the height of their careers. This year, the honor went to a The Office favorite, who is bound to make many people happy, and the fans of the show have the best joke ready.

John Krasinski won the title this year, becoming 2024’s Sexiest Man Alive. While Krasinski isn’t the typical hunk, he is in great shape, as evidenced by his shirtless scene in 13 Hours, but he’s also charming and adorable. He’s an actor, screenwriter, producer, and director and creator of one of the best current horror franchises, A Quiet Place. Plus, he’s married to Emily Blunt, which adds 10 million cool bonus points.

Krasinski’s The Office character, Jim, was also right there at the top of perfect fictional boyfriends alongside Chandler Bing, Jake Peralta, and Phil Dunphy. All of them were ive, encouraging, loyal, and funny. Although Krasinski stepped away from his Jim persona with different roles, he’ll forever be associated with Jim, and this The Office joke came back at the perfect time.

Fans congratulated Randall Park for the Sexiest Man Alive

The mockumentary sitcom The Office, which was based on the U.K. version created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, ran for nine seasons and is often regarded as the best version of the sitcom among many other international versions. One of the ongoing gags on the show was Jim Halpert playing pranks on his colleague Dwight (Rainn Wilson), as the two had their desks next to each other.

One of the most intricate pranks was Jim bringing his friend, an unnamed character played by Randall Park, as Jim in the show’s final season. The entire office at Dunder-Mifflin plays along and try to convince Dwight that Park was actually the real Jim, who congratulated Dwight because he “doesn’t see race,” since he’s Asian. It’s one of the top-notch jokes, especially as Dwight insisted that “identity theft is not a joke.”

The joke is even more useful now that John Krasinski is People’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2024, with Park coming up on everyone’s feeds. “Yess, of course he deserves it,” wrote a fan under People’s official announcement with a photo of Park.

The stint continued online on different posts, all recalling the never-gets-old prank on Dwight.

The joke didn’t stop at The Office because earlier this year, Park stepped in for Krasinski again, this time as himself. To promote Krasinski’s latest directorial effort, the children’s fantasy film IF, starring Ryan Reynolds, one of the spoofs had Park impersonate Krasinski. He tried to convince Reynolds he was the director of the family movie, the same way he did with Dwight.

People had a very funny way of announcing the honor this year and they did it with the help of Stephen Colbert on The Late Show, who brought the actor to tell everyone how to be sexy and what he did to win this honor. Unfortunately, they missed the opportunity to bring Park.

While John Krasinski’s popularity was big during The Office years, he has remained a constant in the public eye, and his charm, quick wit, relationship with Emily Blunt, as well as his overall talent makes him a very suitable Sexiest Man Alive this year (sorry Selena Gomez).

It’s been about a year since we found out nerdy star of The Office-turned-Hollywood hunk John Krasinski won’t be playing the iconic Mr. Fantastic in the MCU movie, and that still kind of stings. Fortunately, there’s something sweet to salve that wound – Emily Blunt’s husband will return as a different classic character: Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, and this time he’ll be on the silver screen.

The popular hit Amazon MGM show, which ran for four seasons, featured Krasinski as Jack Ryan in a TV show for the first time. Previously, the character appeared in five movies with four different actors. Alec Baldwin played the character in the 1990 film The Hunt for Red October. Harrison Ford took over the mantle for the next two movies: Patriot Games (1992) and Clear and Present Danger (1994).

In 2002, Ben Affleck played a “younger” Jack Ryan in the prequel The Sum of All Fears. Twelve years later the franchise was rebooted with Chris Pine as Ryan in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014). The idea for the Krasinski Jack Ryan show was that the classic character would deal with more modern issues not directly pulled from the source material.

The show was always only meant to last four seasons, and fans of the action-packed series were sad to see it go. Dry those tears though folks because Krasinski’s Ryan is not only coming back, he’s coming back bigger than ever. That’s right, Amazon MGM is developing a movie based on the show with series regulars like Wendell Pierce and Michael Kelly reprising their roles.

Season 2 director Andrew Bernstein will direct the film, from a script written by show writer Aaron Rabin, per The Hollywood Reporter. This news is good because Krasinski’s appearance as Mr. Fantastic sure got a lot of people’s hopes up. Krasinski famously appeared as the character in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, in case you didn’t know, is the leader of the Fantastic Four, one of Marvel’s oldest and most well-known, if not most popular, superhero teams. In the MCU, Richards is the smartest man in the universe, and he has the ability to stretch himself in superhuman ways. Interest in the group peaked after Krasinski’s appearance in a post-credits scene.

For a while there, specualtion was rampant as to whether Krasinski would take up Richard’s stretchy mantle. Krasinski even said he was not going to play the character permanently, but that didn’t stop anyone from hoping. Marvel also revealed it was a one-off portrayal, and said it used the elasticity (pun intended) of the Marvel multiverse storyline to make it happen.

As most people now know, Pedro Pascal will portray Richards in the The Fantastic Four: First Steps, currently scheduled for a 2025 release. Over the years, the world has had a complicated history with Fantastic Four movies. The property, like Spider-Man, was owned by Sony, and a number of movies were released under that studio. They were famously bad.

The first modern telling of the team came in 2005 with Fantastic Four starring Ioan Gruffudd, Michael Chiklis, Chris Evans and Jessica Alba. That stinker gave rise to the stinker sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). That killed the franchise for 8 years until they tried to reboot in 2015 with new actors in 2015’s super stinker The Fantastic Four.

At that point, people were so desperate for something that didn’t suck it makes sense that seeing Krasinski in a Marvel-sanctioned role would get everyone excited. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, you’ll have to settle for a Jack Ryan movie.

After John Krasinski turned A Quiet Place into an unexpected horror hit, the actor and filmmaker got free reign to explore other corners of his vivid imagination. Sadly, IF is mostly a messy misfire.

On the surface, IF has a reasonably simple concept. In the movie’s universe, imaginary friends aka “IF” are autonomous creatures brought to life by children with creative minds. Once the children grow old and no longer need their IF, they forget their imaginary friends. Usually, the only people who can see the IF that populate the planet are the children who need them. However, Bea (Cailey Fleming) is a special girl who learns she can see the creatures after moving to her grandmother’s (Fiona Shaw) house. Quite quickly, Bea s forces with the IF caretaker, Cal (Ryan Reynolds), to find them new loving homes.

From its synopsis, IF is supposed to be a straightforward family movie that can delight people of all ages looking for entertainment. Unfortunately, the film tries to juggle too many things, hindering its ability to leave a lasting impression.

The first and most prominent flaw of IF is how it fails to explain the rules governing its titular creatures. The movie spends a considerable chunk of its runtime introducing new adorable monsters and exploring how imaginary friends interact with humans. However, by the time the credits roll, it’s still impossible to know precisely where imaginary friends come from, what’s their ultimate fate, and what exactly is their connection to flesh and bone people. 

It’s even more unnerving that none of the movie’s characters seem concerned with these questions, as Bea and other humans just accept the unbelievable things they go through without ever wondering why or how. It’s evident from IF’s plot that Krasinski has too many ideas to spare. Maybe because of that, his script can’t go beyond shallow and superficial worldbuilding.

The lack of internal coherence is particularly damaging in a fantasy, in which suspending disbelief is essential to appreciate a story. Without set rules, a fantasy movie struggles to grab the public’s attention, as instead of enjoying the narrative, the audience wonders why senseless things keep popping up on the silver screen for no reason. On that note, IF is a complete failure, as its story twists and turns too often, leaving behind plot holes the size of craters.

That happens because Krasinski is trying to make two different movies simultaneously. On one level, IF is a complex story about childhood trauma and the beautiful ways the mind finds to cope with pain. As that might be too hard for children to digest, the story gets dumbed down to a series of colorful but ultimately disconnected CGI set pieces that are only fun to watch if you turn your brain off and accept nothing is supposed to make sense.

The constant need to simplify IF’s plot also leads to uncomfortable clichés. For instance, Bea’s emotional journey is frequently reduced to a series of readymade dialogues spit out by the main characters. This creative decision adds even more hiccups to a story that struggles with its flow, transforming the experience from forgettable to annoying. It’s a shame as Krasinski had something exceptional on his hands. IF could work as a breezy distraction for children or as a layered investigation of the incredible reach of human imagination. But the movie struggles to do both simultaneously, to the point where it fails to accomplish anything.

Some of the movie’s imaginary friends also reflect the tonal discrepancy IF suffers from. While the movie vastly differs from Krasinski’s previous exploration of horror, it has its fair share of creepy moments and characters. While these elements are introduced in a comedic way, they can also raise some eyebrows, as it’s hard to think any children would imagine those creatures. Their presence could be interpreted as a treat for adults accompanying children into the theater, as parents and legal guardians can enjoy more mature jokes while enduring a painfully bland movie. However, since they contradict the story’s core concept, they become another unwelcome dissonance factor.

The weirdness of it all is amplified by the fact that we only get to know a few imaginary friends in the movie. Without individual goals or well-defined personalities, most imaginary friends blend together in a chaotic rainbow-colored background. Plus, since most of them disappear from the screen as fast as they show up, there’s no time to create any connection. That’s baffling, to say the least, as IF wastes the voice talents of Hollywood stars such as Awkwafina, Emily Blunt, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Sam Rockwell, Brad Pitt, and Bradley Cooper.

Amid the chaos, Fleming delivers a surprisingly captivating performance. That said, she has been obviously miscast as no one can believe, even for a second, that Bea is only 12 years old. So, even when Fleming is pouring her heart and soul to make Bea stand out, it’s hard to view this relatively mature actress as an innocent child learning to deal with her emotions.

The remaining of IF’s performances are a mixed bag. Reynolds, for instance, is just a grumpy cardboard put into the shooting set to contrast with Bea’s increasing positivity. Shaw, on the other hand, steals the scene every time she appears. As for Steve Carell, even when he’s present only in voice, the legendary star elevates any movie with his magnetic personality.

Despite everything, IF still has an undeniable charm. Krasinski has proved time and time again he’s a great director, even when he struggles with scriptwriting. So, while IF is a mess, it’s a highly polished mess. In addition, it’s lovely to realize how far Krasinski’s imagination can go as he conjures unexpected images. No one can deny IF has the heart to spare, which might buy the movie some goodwill. Still, it’s not enough to be ionate about a project; you must deliver a satisfying execution for people to fill the theater seats. That’s not the case with Krasinski’s latest, as the filmmaker didn’t find the right way to tie together all the ideas he wanted to fit into a single movie.

We have our new Fantastic Four, there’s no doubt about that, but what there is doubt about is how much Marvel is actually going to use the superhero quartet we thought were going to be all over the MCU following their introduction in July 2025’s The Fantastic Four.

Don’t take it as a sure thing just yet, but rumors — which gel with everything else we’ve heard about the film’s storyline, to be fair — are claiming that Avengers 5 (aka The Film Formerly Known as The Kang Dynasty) will not feature any of the fabulous foursome. That’s right: Don’t expect to see Pedro Pascal (Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm), Joseph Queen (Human Torch), or Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Thing) team up with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in the big Marvel event.

If you ask us, that’s a huge waste of potential given that Avengers 5 must match up to the cross-the-streams extravaganza that was Avengers: Infinity War. But, OK, we get it, Pedro and pals are very busy people. Thankfully, there’s a little thing called the multiverse at play, which could allow Marvel to introduce a whole other variant team of Fantastic Four heroes across both Avengers 5 and Secret Wars.

John Krasinski has already turned up as Earth-838’s Reed Richards, so we know it can be done. In that vein, why couldn’t varying squadrons of Marvel’s First Family assemble before the Avengers meet the actual motley crew? Let’s keep the fancast-to-reality trend going and bring in all the Fantastic Four possibilities as the Multiverse Saga builds to its (hopefully) stunning climax. Kevin Feige, if you’re looking for ideas, here are some free of charge — excepting a six-figure consultant’s fee, but we’ll discuss that later.

The Driver team

when we were all convinced that Adam Driver was going to be the MCU’s Reed Richards? That was wild. Well, it can still conceivably be made canon thanks to the multiverse. If we were to build a variant team around him, Adria Arjona would make a great Sue. She reliably gives her all to every project she’s in (see Andor) and she truly deserves another crack at the Marvel whip after Morbius. Meanwhile, Jay Lycurgo has already stormed the DC multiverse thanks to Titans and The Batman, so ticking the MCU off his to-do list as Johnny Storm only makes sense. Last but not least… Jack Black as the Thing. I mean, that says it all, right? The defense rests.

The Badgley team

Want another walk down memory lane? Forget Driver ⏤ at one point, the whole internet was certain that Penn Badgley, Jodie Comer, Joe Keery, and Jason Segel had been officially cast as the Four, with Badgley and Comer as Reed and Sue, Keery as Johnny, and Segel as Ben Grimm. They did make for an intriguing ensemble, so it would be rather fun to see them suit up for a brief cameo in Secret Wars. Comer already has previous practice doing this in Disney movies after her Rise of Skywalker role. That said, it might be creepy to see Comer and Keery play siblings after being love interests in Free Guy.

The fans’ dream team

Fans have been salty about how John Krasinski‘s Reed was treated ever since Wanda turned him into spaghetti in Doctor Strange 2. Similarly, it was also a bit of a bummer that Marvel didn’t complete the dream team by having him share the screen with IRL wife Emily Blunt as Sue. There’s still time to put this right, though, before the Multiverse Saga calls it quits. As for who could be their cohorts, John Boyega was always a popular choice for Johnny, and Disney still owes him for doing Finn dirty. And Alan Ritchson would be a perfect Thing, assuming James Gunn doesn’t hoover him up as Batman first.

The near-misses team

If Secret Wars really does become a way for Marvel to apologize to all the actors it’s failed to cast over the years, then this lineup would make a lot of sense for a variant Fantastic Four. Jamie Dornan is the kind of actor whose name gets thrown around for various superhero roles, but he’s never taken one to date. Amanda Seyfried was almost Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy. Zac Efron was everyone’s top pick for Adam Warlock, and Seth Rogen feels like a Marvel cameo waiting to happen. So make it happen, Marvel!

The so-wild-it-just-might-work team

The exhilarating thing about the concept of Marvel introducing another Fantastic Four team for a scene in Secret Wars is that they can make some bizarre, yet winning, actor pairings. So how about Jason Sudeikis as Mr. F, Kevin Hart as The Thing, the internet’s boyfriend Jacob Elordi as Human Torch, and Ryan Reynolds’ other half Blake Lively as Sue. And, yes, in this imaginary scenario, Deadpool would get to meet this Sue variant and probably have a crush on her. It’s the Green Lantern reunion we’ve all been waiting for. You’re welcome.

The curveball team

On a similar theme, Marvel could ignore all your fan casts and hire whoever they like to play the FF for five seconds of screentime and watch everyone’s jaws drop. John Cho could be a brilliant yet completely unexpected Mr. Fantastic and Jessica Chastain definitely deserves another shot at a Marvel role after Dark Phoenix let her down. Liam Hemsworth is long overdue for a spot in the MCU after losing Thor to his brother and Peacemaker has proven that John Cena is a better actor than we realized.

The refreshing team

In a similar vein, it would be really refreshing to have a Fantastic Four made up of these four actors. Despite Marvel’s increasing interest in diversifying its cache of characters, the studio still went with a fully Caucasian cast for the FF reboot. It could always put that right by having a variant team made up of people of color ⏤ like, say, Dev Patel, Constance Wu, and Terry Crews, all of whom would be amazing additions to the franchise. And John David Washington would just be keeping things in the family after his dad becomes Kang (we can dream, can’t we?)

The internet-breaking team

The ultimate aim with any cameo in a Marvel movie is to grab our attention, right? In this case, Marvel should absolutely find a spot for these guys in Avengers 5 and 6, as social media might just spontaneously combust if it does. Imagine Bridgerton heartthrob Regé-Jean Page turning up as one of the Council of Reeds? Or X-Men alum Jennifer Lawrence randomly returning to the Marvel multiverse as Sue? Meanwhile, Outer Banks fave Rudy Pankow has a lot of feral ers while the hilarity of casting the actual Rock Dwayne Johnson as the rock-based the Thing speaks for itself.

To be clear, The Fantastic Four cast we do have is terrific, but there’s no harm in kicking up a storm by multiplying their number a few times, is there? It’s not called the Multiverse Saga for nothing, after all!

One of the greatest mysteries of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga has finally been solved. Ever since Kevin Feige casually announced that a Fantastic Four reboot was coming way back in summer 2019, fans of Marvel’s First Family have been eagerly awaiting — and awaiting and awaiting — casting news. So say hello to Pedro Pascal — our new Mr. Fantastic!

Although it was widely reported back in November, it’s taken until February for Marvel to officially announce that The Mandalorian and The Last of Us legend is Reed Richards in 2025’s The Fantastic Four. We’ve had months to adjust to the news now, but initially Pascal landing the role took fans aback. Although he’s undoubtedly one of the hottest, most in-demand actors in Hollywood at present, some think he might be too old for the character. But is there any truth to that? Just how old is Reed Richards supposed to be, anyway?

How old were the actors who played Mr. Fantastic?

First of all, let’s determine how old all the previous Mr. Fantastics were. The leader of the Fantastic Four is easily one of the most adapted characters from Marvel comics, with four (now five) actors to date playing him in movies, albeit one of these never released. 1994’s The Fantastic Four was a cheaply budgeted B-movie that starred Alex Hyde-White as the stretchy-skinned superhero. The actor was 35 at the time.

It took until 2005’s Fantastic Four for the team to finally hit theaters, with Ioan Gruffudd going onto embody Reed for both this and 2007’s Rise of the Silver Surfer. The Welsh actor was only 30 in the first movie, which fits with its depiction of Richards as an established scientist but a newbie superhero. It’s ironic, then, that 2015’s Fant4stic, which portrayed Reed as a young prodigy, starred the 28-year-old Miles Teller, who was only two years younger than Gruffudd had been.

Most recently, Mr. Fantastic made his MCU debut in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, with fan-favorite John Krasinski cameoing as Earth-838’s incarnation of the character. Krasinski is easily the oldest Reed to date, being 42 at the time of the movie’s release. Again, though, this fits with his iteration, as his Reed is a well-established veteran hero and is said to be a husband and father.

Adding all these ages together, that means the average age of Mr. Fantastic on screen is just a few months shy of 34 years old. So, how old is Pedro Pascal? At the time of writing, the Chilean-American star is 48 years old. In other words, he would beat out Krasinski’s record as the most mature Reed by a fair margin and be a full 14 years older than the average age. But is that really a problem? Not if Marvel wants to be comics-accurate, it isn’t.

How old is Mr. Fantastic in Marvel Comics?

Marvel Comics famously exist on a timeline that’s even more elastic than Mr. Fantastic himself, with Earth-616’s roster of characters only aging a few years over the past six decades of comic book storytelling. Spider-Man’s age is often used as a gauge by which to tell how time progresses in the Marvel universe. Peter Parker began as a 15-year-old in 1962 and these days he’s pushing 30. Meanwhile, Reed was probably in his mid-to-late 30s in the original comics, therefore he’s nearing 50 in the present timeline.

Much like people tend to think of Spider-Man as a teenager, thanks to the movies routinely resetting him to where he was at the beginning of the comics, clearly Reed Richards is viewed as eternally in his 30s by audiences, hence his average age in the movies. Pedro Pascal playing Reed is entirely accurate for where the character is in the source material these days, however. Like Krasinski’s version, he could always be introduced as a pre-established hero, maybe even already a dad to Franklin and Valeria.

In other words, Pedro Pascal is perfect for Mr. Fantastic, and you can’t convince us otherwise.

When A Quiet Place initially premiered back in 2018, it was to the resounding applause of critics and audiences around the world. Specifically, John Krasinski was praised for his sophisticated approach to a genre that is often hit or miss. The writing was taut, the directing was impeccable, the sound (or lack thereof) was immersive, and the cast made us feel like we were a part of the storyline. As a result, it was only a matter of time until the film received a sequel. 

A Quiet Place Part 2 came at a time when the world was as silent as characters on the screen. The coronavirus had shoved people inside their houses and unfortunately the sequel, which was slated to drop in 2020, was pushed back an entire year to May 2021. When it did arrive, it was once again to the resounding applause of critics and audiences who couldn’t believe Krasinksi managed to do it again. The film, like its predecessor, received over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Just one year after the sequel, it was announced at the 2022 CinemaCon that an official prequel titled A Quiet Place: Day One would make its way to theaters in 2024. The film would take place on the day that the asteroid bearing the aliens first crashed into Earth. Fans have been anxiously waiting for more news, and as it turns out, there’s plenty. So, here’s everything we know about the much-anticipated prequel.

What is the release date for A Quiet Place: Day One?

The original release date for A Quiet Place: Day One was scheduled for Sept. 22, 2023 and then pushed to March 8, 2024, although Paramount has shuffled its schedule up once more, with the action-packed prequel now set to release in theaters on June 28, 2024. With the official release date being revealed, Paramount Pictures has simultaneously unveiled the movie’s pulse-pounding teaser trailer — which can be viewed directly above.

The movie will additionally be helmed by Pig director Michael Sarnoski, and will be produced by Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller, and John Krasinski. Pig was one of the best reviewed movies of 2021, so while Krasinski isn’t directing this film, it’s reassuringly still in good hands.

Will the original cast return?

As it stands, the movie will serve as a spin-off prequel addition to the franchise, with the film’s events showcasing how the post-apocalyptic world came to be. As a result, its title alone suggests that it will solely be a prequel and thus, the universal assumption is that Krasinski, Emily Blunt, and their onscreen children, Noah Jupe and Millicent Simmonds, will not make an appearance in the film.

The spinoff is based on an original idea from John Krasinski, according to The Hollywood Reporter. So even though the original cast is unlikely to appear in this installment, we can breathe easy knowing the story is still rooted in Krasinski’s mind. A sequel to A Quiet Place Part 2 is expected to release in 2025, according to Paramount, so we are reassured knowing we haven’t seen the last of the Abbott family (well, maybe Krasinski’s character).

Even with the original cast not likely to appear in the spinoff prequel, the movie does indeed feature a star-studded cast — including Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o, Alex Wolff, and Stranger Things‘ megastar Joseph Quinn.

What are the filming locations for A Quiet Place: Day One?

Filming for A Quiet Place: Day One officially kickstarted in February 2023 and wrapped up its filming production in April 2023. Of course, much of the focus of the spin-off has been in regards to filming locations used in the project.

The Abbott house and farmland seen in the first and second films were filmed in upstate New York in the village of Pawling. We’re not likely to see that same house or farmland in A Quiet Place: Day One, but it’s clear that the setting of New York was used as a primary location for filming.

The famous opening baseball scene from A Quiet Place Part 2 was filmed in the small town of North Tonawanda, New York, and the downtown street scenes were filmed on Main Street in Akron, New York, which is a village near Buffalo in Erie County.

All in all, many scenes from A Quiet Place: Day One were split between filming locations in both New York, USA and London, England, so it’s very likely that those two settings will play a monumental part in the success and triumph of the brand-new film.

The Fantastic Four movie we’ve all been waiting for isn’t going to be exactly how we imagined it, and this has everything to do with John Krasinski.

Despite how much some folks wanted to see the actor return to the MCU in the role of Reed Richards (and how impactful it could be if he did), it seems like things have taken a turn. It’s not an unpleasant turn, don’t get me wrong. There’s no doubt that Pedro Pascal will play the character to perfection if Deadline’s report proves true, but the disappointment over what may potentially be lost is understandable.

In all honesty, Krasinski stepping away from the role is an outcome that should have been expected by the Marvel fandom. After all, in late 2022 the actor affirmed that there weren’t any discussions for him to return, implying that his portrayal of the character was merely a one-time thing. Of course, the situation could’ve changed since that time, but with the constant rumors about other actors taking over the part, the chances kept getting slimmer.

After all is said and done, though, there is a question at the forefront of Marvel fans’ minds. Why not have Krasinski come back as Mr. Fantastic, instead of finding someone else to play the part? Even though his version of Richards met his demise in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, we’ve seen the same actors play variants of their characters before, thus, it wouldn’t be far-fetched for this to be the case in Fantastic Four. So why won’t it be?

Do we know why John Krasinski won’t be in Fantastic Four?

Unfortunately, we don’t have an explanation for why Krasinski won’t be back to the MCU as Mr. Fantastic. Not yet at least. For starters, it’s not clear whether the decision to the baton came from the folks at Marvel or from the actor himself.

There are plenty of reasons why Krasinski may have chosen not to venture into this project, but as most people know by now, scheduling conflicts are always a big problem in the film and TV industry. Currently, the star is busy directing, producing, writing, and acting in the fantasy comedy IF, so between that, his family, and other potential projects, it’s worth considering the possibility that Krasinski simply can’t commit to continuing to play Richards in the MCU. Or maybe he just doesn’t want to. That’s fair, too.

That said, the simpler explanation is perhaps that Marvel’s casting directors have other stars in mind for the character. Exactly why that may be is up in the air, though. It seems like we’ll have to wait for someone to comment on the situation, and until then, all we can do is speculate.

There are no surprising developments in this era, only inevitabilities. And insofar as popular franchises are concerned, remakes, revisits, remasters, and retellings are all but guaranteed, even if common courtesy compels industry moguls to wait for at least a couple of years before attempting another go. Yet, despite growing all but numb against this torrent of remaster announcements, the report of The Office going for another run definitely threw everyone off guard.

Well, regardless of how we might feel about it, showrunner Greg Daniels is reportedly developing another series of The Office. The news came on the heels of the WGA-AMPTP agreement, following almost a five-month walkout, and while we’ve got our ears perked up for more on the matter, we can’t help but wonder whether the original cast or their characters are going to make a comeback.

Frankly, we can’t imagine The Office or anything even resembling it without the main cast, so here’s who we definitely want to see in that reboot, if and when it becomes a reality.

7. Creed Bratton (Creed Bratton)

Creed is genuinely the most interesting person in that office. Sure, he’s also a bit cuckoo, but that’s part of the charm. The original Creed didn’t have nearly as much screentime as his character deserved, so let’s hope that this alleged reboot finally gives him what he’s due.

6. Kevin Malone (Brian Baumgartner)

Kevin is an underrated character in The Office ensemble. He might not always be the center of attention, but his scenes never fail to crack us up. He’s also a genuinely kindhearted person, so of course he’s worked up a reputation as being irresistibly charming in the fandom.

5. Ryan Howard (B. J. Novak)

Ryan started the fire, it was always burning since the— Oh, sorry. Listen, you’ve got to have Ryan Howard in the cast, even if he’s going to look bemusedly at the camera. You’ll also know that B. J. Novak was a writer and executive producer on the series, and he has some of the most popular episodes like “Safety Training,” “Happy Hour,” and “Threat Level Midnight” to his credit.

4. Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer)

Dunder Mifflin has one receptionist, and it’s Pam Beesly. Don’t get me wrong; I have nothing against Erin. But it was Pam Beesly, portrayed by the brilliant Jenna Fischer, who brought that particular corner of the office to life. Pam and Jim are one of the best duos in all of television, and you simply can’t imitate the chemistry between Fischer and Krasinski, so we’re hoping that Greg Daniels brings both of them back.

3. Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson)

To some people, Dwight Schrute is the indisputable MVP of The Office. And while I wouldn’t necessarily say that he’s my personal favorite character, I do find that Dwight is responsible for my most unhinged, side-splitting chuckles when watching the series. Besides, let’s be honest: There’d be no Dunder Mifflin without Dwight’s sales. The man is carrying the company on his back. And Rainn Wilson is a national treasure, so we need to have him involved in the project at least to some degree.

2. Jim Halpert (John Krasinski)

Jim is the funniest prankster in fiction, the coolest dude around the block, and the most romantic soul this side of Scranton, Pennsylvania. John Krasinski’s character makes the show, at least whenever Steve Carrell isn’t around to handle the job. I mean, would it even be The Office without Krasinski shooting a bemused look at the camera whenever something absurd happens? No. The answer is no.

1. Michael Scott (Steve Carrell)

Are you even surprised to find Michael Scott at the top of our list? Michael, as played by Steve Carrell, is a creature that I can’t quite fathom. He also gives me some of my worst cringe attacks, but at the same time, there’s a charm to him that can’t quite be imitated. Everything went downhill the moment Carrell left the series, and most fans would tell you that the last two seasons were barely watchable without his presence and charisma. Suffice it to say, we need Michael Scarn for The Office reboot to work, and no man can portray him as well as Steve Carrell did. Greg Daniels, you know what you have to do.

Who is the most underrated hero of the MCU? No, I’m not talking, say, Moon Knight or Mantis. The correct answer to that question should be Sarah Halley Finn, Marvel Studios’ expert casting director who’s been with the franchise all along. Finn really should be recognized as the MCU’s secret weapon as it’s thanks to her never-ending procession of spot-on casting choices that Marvel has been able to continually and consistently put out hit after hit and supply many of the most beloved movie characters in modern film history.

However, although those perfectly cast actors might seem clearly the best choices for their characters in hindsight, finding the right person to play Earth’s Mightiest Heroes has been a Herculean achievement every single time, with the MCU almost taking some very different turns on numerous occasions. As Finn revealed to Vanity Fair, there are many near-miss Marvel hero castings that came close to coming to . These days, it’s fascinating to look back on them and, like the Watcher, ponder the question, “What if…">Keanu can still play a new version of Ghost Rider.

Ah, 2020. What a year. Mostly because that’s when A Quiet Place Part II came out. Was that the most important thing that we’ll about 2020? Probably not, but for the purposes of what you’re reading, it is. In related news, more info has surfaced on Part III!

We’ve known about the third movie in the franchise since around February, when Paramount announced that a sequel was on the way. All we’ve known so far is that it was tentatively planned for a 2025 release. Star Emily Blunt was nice enough to give an update recently in an interview with Josh Horowitz prior to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

Blunt said she spoke with both Cillian Murphy and Director John Krasinski, who happens to be her husband, and both said they were keen to keep the franchise going:

“Well, Cillian [Murphy] and I were having a chat with John [Krasinski] about it last night. We were sitting on a rooftop all together drinking wine and… ‘You know what would be great? Is if we keep this thing going…’ I think there’s… it would have to be that we would all do it together.”

Who hasn’t made grandiose plans while drinking wine on a roof? She also said she wouldn’t “want it to be with a different director if we did it again.” Krasinski, for his part, has previously shared that he already has an idea of what the third movie would be about.

Blunt also said that even if sequels weren’t originally planned, the world has enough breadth that there was “such mileage for expansion.”

“Why not? I always said when we were approaching this one, I said, ‘I think you need to think of it not as a sequel, but this is chapter two, this is just a continuation.’ I think there’s such an investment in this family – such mileage for expansion in this kind of extraordinary world. I think there’s room [for a third film].”

As for what a sequel would look like, it makes sense that it would continue the story after Regan finally found the mysterious signal that leads her to safety on an island with other humans. If that’s the case, we could finally see the humans get a chance to fight back against the terrifying aliens.

The movie was set to premiere in 2025, but with the ongoing strikes, we wouldn’t be surprised if it got delayed.