The Marvel Cinematic Universe finally has its ‘Fantastic Four.’ On Feb. 14th, the studio confirmed the main cast for the upcoming film: Pedro Pascal will play Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby plays Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn is Johnny Storm/The Human Torch and, finally, Ebon Moss-Bachrach will play Ben Grimm/Thing.
Despite all the recent talk of superhero fatigue, fans of the comics have been expecting a reboot of the beloved superheroes for years. Especially after Disney, who also owns Marvel Studios, acquired the rights of the characters in 2019 (after they acquired 21st Century Fox).
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Disney not only announced the cast, they also confirmed a new release date for the film: July 25, 2025. They also changed the release dates for “Thunderbolts” (now set for May 2, 2025). In 2025, the studio is also set to release “Captain America: Brave New World” on February 14 and “Blade” on November 7.
A new reboot for the Fantastic Four
In typical Marvel’s fashion, specifics about the story are scarce. The film will be directed by Matt Shakman (“WandaVision,” “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters”). Meanwhile, Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer wrote the script.
In the comics, the Fantastic Four start out as astronauts who become superheroes after exposure to cosmic rays in space. Reed gains the ability to stretch his body to extraordinary length, while his girlfriend Sue becomes invisible and creates strong force fields. Meanwhile, Johnny, Sue’s brother, turns into fire and Ben, Reed’s best friend, becomes something of a giant orange rock with superhuman strength.
Fantastic Four (2005)
Of course, this is not the first time that the iconic superheroes have graced the big screen. Jessica Alba, Ioan Gruffudd, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis first portrayed the heroes in 2005 and in a sequel in 2007. Then, the franchise was rebooted in 2015, with Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara and Jamie Bell playing the titular characters.
A star-studded cast
Fans have been speculating about the new cast, and the news didn’t disappoint. Pascal solidifies his position with arguably the most significant role of his career, following his leading roles in “The Mandalorian” and “The Last Of Us,” the latter earning him nominations for the Golden Globes and Emmys.
Meanwhile, Kirby received an Oscar nomination for her leading role in “A Pieces of a Woman” (2020). She is also known for appearing in the Mission Impossible franchise since 2018, as well as portraying Princess Margaret in “The Crown” (for which she won the BAFTA).
Quinn, on the other hand, is best known for portraying Eddie in Season 4 of “Stranger Things.” However, the actor is set to appear in big movies in 2024, including “A Quiet Place: Day One” and “Gladiator 2.”
Moss-Bachrach is coming from winning the Golden Globe and the Emmy for his role as Richard in “The Bear.” He is also well-known for playing David Lieberman/Micro in the series “The Punisher.”
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Julia Garner was one of the acclaimed additions and will bring to life one of the most important characters for the plot: Shalla-Bal, a version of Silver Surfer from the comics. The actress is known for her successful career, including Netflix‘s drama “Inventing Anna“, “Ozark” and “The Royal Hotel“.
The cast continues to expand with each passing week, and not only has it been confirmed that filming will begin at the end of July, but also several mega-popular figures will be present. The latest additions have been John Malkovich in an unknown role, Ralph Ineson as Galactus, Paul Walter Hauser and Natasha Lyonne.
