News of Adam Driver taking a meeting with Marvel Studios to discuss an unknown role in Fantastic Four generated some crazy buzz when it broke. While there’s absolutely no guarantee that Driver will show up in the film, which is currently set to hit theaters on February 14th, 2025, there’s no doubt that the actor, who has two Oscar nominations to his credit, is incredibly talented and has shown a great deal of range over the course of his career. With that in mind, we take a look at four characters that would be a fantastic fit for the star and to nobody’s surprise, they are all over the map!
The Maker
Marvel Studios Fantastic Four will kick off Phase 6 of their Multiverse Saga, so it’s hard to imagine that some multiversal shenanigans won’t be in play. One fascinating option that could tie into a simplified version of Jonathan Hickman’s 2015 event Secret Wars, which is expected to be a primary source of inspiration for Marvel Studios’ 2026 film Avengers: Secret Wars, would be to use Fantastic Four to introduce the Reed Richards of Earth-1610. In the comics, 1610 is known as the Ultimate Universe and its Richards isn’t the hero he is on Earth-616. 1610’s Richards went a bit off the deep end following Sue Storm’s rejection of his marriage proposal. Truly a character worthy of his own story in the MCU, The Maker would prove to be a fascinating character study, something Driver’s been drawn to in the recent past.
Silver Surfer
Certainly a role coveted by many in Hollywood, the Silver Surfer’s pathos seems to fall in line with Driver’s resume. Granted there’s no guarantee that Norin Radd will show up in Fantastic Four but he’s as connected to the property as any. In truth, Radd’s origin story as the Sentinel of the Spaceways is as deserving of its own project as that of any hero in Marvel’s vast stable, something that could interest Driver if he were looking for something more than a supporting role. That origin, which features Mephisto, a character reported to be entering the MCU played by Sacha Baron Cohen, begins a story of torment unlike any other in the history of Marvel Comics and Driver can certainly do “tormented.”
Molecule Man
Over the years, Jonathan Hickman has shown a knack for reimagining and reinventing characters. Perhaps no character was as well-served by this as Owen Reece, the Molecule Man. While he always possessed great powers, it wasn’t until Hickman’s work on Avengers and Secret Wars that Reece’s full potential as a reality warper was unlocked making him one of the most powerful and important beings in the Multiverse. Hickman also portrayed Reece as a bit unstable, disturbed and aloof. Reece’s characterization under Hickman’s watch is a combo right in Driver’s sweet spot.
Psycho-Man
If you were waiting to find Victor Von Doom on this list, you’re crazy. And speaking of crazy…it’s Psycho-Man. If you’ve seen Driver in Annette, you’ve seen where the inspiration for him as Psycho-Man is rooted. Though he rules over an empire in the Microverse (the comic’s version of the Quantum Realm), he’s a major threat. The idea of a deadpan Driver walking around holding a box that controls the emotions of those around him is pretty appealing, to me at least.
With no guarantee that Driver will join the MCU at all, much less Fantastic Four, it’s all just fun and games. But with an actor as talented as Driver, it’s hard not to consider what he’d bring to the table.
