Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear, The Punisher, Girls) is rumored to be one of the actors locked-in to play the main roles in Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four reboot, but the actor wasn't about to let the cat out of the bag while being interviewed on the red carpet of the recent Emmy Awards.
The Wrap asked Moss-Bachrach if there's any truth to the rumor that he'll be joining the MCU as Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, and he responded with: "Oh, I can't confirm or deny... I think."
As we've seen so many times in the past, an actor declining to outright debunk a casting rumor tends to be a good sign that they have landed said role, or are at least in talks. Rachel Brosnaham had a very similar response when asked about potentially playing Lois Lane in Superman: Legacy, for example.
The main cast is believed to be finalized, with an announcement imminent. Though we obviously won't know for sure until Marvel makes it official, the rest of the team is rumored to include Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby (Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning) as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman, and Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) as Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch.
As for the other major characters, there have been rumors that both Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) and Mads Mikkelsen (Rogue One) are top picks to play Doctor Doom, but other actors are sure to be in contention.
The team's most prolific foe is not expected to have a significant role in the reboot (in fact, he may only show up in the post-credits scene), but the villain could well emerge as the new big bad of the Marvel Cinematic Universe - especially after the recent news that Marvel has decided to part ways with Kang actor Jonathan Majors.
Several well-placed sources have claimed that Doom will be one of the main villains of Avengers: Secret Wars.
Javier Bardem is said to be the top choice for Galactus, but his schedule may prevent him from signing on. The Eater of Worlds' herald is believed to be Silver Surfer, but a female take on the character. A recent rumor claimed that Anya Taylor-Joy is being eyed for that role.
Matt Shakman will direct FF from a script by Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer. Plot details are still under wraps.
Fantastic Four is expected to begin production between July and August, and is set to hit theaters on May 2, 2025.