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Internet split over rumors about William Jackson Harper cast as Reed Richards in new 'Ant-Man and Wasp' film

The casting details were kept strictly confidential, but a Reddit thread leaked the casting news on October 23

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Marvel fans are divided with mixed reactions to rumors about William Jackson Harper being cast as Reed Richards in the new ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ movie. The casting details were kept strictly confidential, but a Reddit thread leaked the casting news on October 23, Sunday which allegedly claimed that  'The Good Place' and 'Love Life' star William Jackson Harper is going to take up the role of Reed Richards, the leader of the Fantastic Four group of superheroes.

That William Jackson Harper has apparently joined the cast of ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ is news confirmed by The Wrap. Although his exact role is yet unknown, the actor will feature in both the movies. But Marvel movie honchos have refused to comment on the specifics of his role, Variety reported.

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Fans went wild as the rumors claimed Harper would be slipping into the shoes of the Reed Richards character. Though initially many fans had expressed their excitement even as they tried to find out if the casting rumor was true, tweets reportedly turned increasingly negative as the news began circulating about MCU's latest casting.

One positive tweet read, "Omg that would be so cool!!! I liked seeing @johnkrasinski as him in #DoctorStrange2 But I absolutely freaking ADORE William Jackson Harper, so if we get him as Reed Richards in the MCU now that would be SO. DAMN. COOL!!! @dubjackharper #AntManandTheWaspQuantumania," Another tweet exclaimed,"Reed!? YES PLEASE!," A happy fan wrote, "Ha! This is literally who I was hoping would play him. Brooo"

But angry tweets slammed the rumored casting too. One disgruntled fan tweeted, "Why tha hell would he be Reed Richards, and why would RR be in Quantumania?" In another tweet, a fan exclaimed, "Why would he be reeds lmao that wouldn't even make sense". The next tweet said, "I am pretty sure that the *high pitched screaming* is NOT coming from the fans." 

Since Reed Richards plays a significant role in the film, fans are quite eager to find out who will be cast in the role. Considering how well Marvel is guarding Harper's character at the present, the majority of fans will undoubtedly believe he is playing the "Fantastic Four" leader Reed Richards. In the movie, Jonathan Majors plays Kang the Conqueror, one of the Fantastic Four's most enduring and vengeful foes.

Harper received an Emmy nomination for his supporting role as Chidi Anagonye in the NBC comedy series 'The Good Place,' for which he has gained a loyal fan base. He most recently appeared in the comedy-thriller series 'The Resort' on Peacock, co-starring Cristin Milioti, and he also served as the showrunner for Season 2 of 'Love Life' on HBO Max. Tom Clancy's 'Jack Ryan' and Barry Jenkins' limited series 'The Underground Railroad,' both available on Amazon Prime Video, are other noteworthy television credits. He has acted in several other notable movies, including 'Dark Waters,' 'Midsommar,' and the romantic comedy 'We Broke Up'.

Harper's upcoming projects include 'Quantumania,' 'Landscape with Invisible Hand,' a 'Daria' spinoff film starring Tracee Ellis Ross from MTV, and the limited series 'A Man in Full' from Netflix starring David E. Kelley and Regina King. 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania releases on February 17, 2023, and it is the first film in MCU's Phase 5.