While we’re definitely taking this one with a pinch of salt, its said that after Matt Smith passed on the role of Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, it was offered to Spider-Man: Far Way Home star Jake Gyllenhaal.

This wouldn’t be the first time an actor has pulled double duty in the MCU, though it's also a very different situation to Gemma Chan starring in both Captain Marvel and Eternals.

Minn-Erva and Sersi look nothing alike and only the most eagle-eyed viewer might have realised the person playing those characters was the same actress. Gyllenhaal, on the other hand, was unforgettable as Mysterio, with even a six year gap between the movies arguably not enough to justify him suiting up as the Fantastic Four’s leader.

He’d definitely be a good fit for the role, and if Smith has indeed passed, then it could be down to him and Adam Driver. John Krasinski presumably isn’t interested in a long term deal as we can’t figure out why Marvel Studios wouldn’t turn to the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness star instead of recycling an actor who played one of the MCU's most memorable bad guys.

Gyllenhaal's other credits include Nightcrawler, Prisoners, and Ambulance. He came close to replacing Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker in Spider-Man 2 when the actor suffered a back injury but he didn't enter the web-slinger's world for another 17 years, playing Quentin Beck in the Infinity Saga's epilogue, Far From Home.

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