Earlier today, we learned that none other than Pedro Pascal looks set to play Mr. Fantastic (the deal is said to be almost done), and we may now know who'll be facing off against the Fantastic Four as the villainous Galactus.
According to Jeff Sneider, Javier Bardem (No Country For Old Men, Dune, The Little Mermaid) is Marvel Studios' top choice to play the Eater of Worlds, but a scheduling conflict with Apple’s F1 movie starring Brad Pitt may get in the way. However, since Galactus will most likely be a voice part (with possible mo-cap elements), Bardem would probably be able to accommodate both projects.
Antonia Banderas was originally in line for the role, and while Bardem is believed to be the front-runner, the Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny actor may still be in contention.
Of course, Galacus will have a herald to do his bidding, and Sneider reiterates that the studio is looking to cast a female take on the Silver Surfer (whether she'll also be a fuly CG creation remains to be seen).
Though only Pascal has been announced, Sneider believes that the other three members of the team have been cast and it's only a matter of time before they're made official, with Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, aka the Thing.
Apparently, an offer did go out to Jake Gyllenhaal, but he wanted too much money. Plus, Feige felt the cast was “way too white,” and decided whoever was going to play Mr. Fantastic should add some diversity to the foursome. Christopher Abbott and Jamie Dornan are also said to have tested.
Matt Shakman will direct FF from a script by Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer. Plot details are still a mystery, but Kevin Feige has confirmed that this will not be another origin story for the super-team.
“A lot of people know this origin story. A lot of people know the basics. How do we take that and bring something that they’ve never seen before?” he said in a 2022 interview, comparing this new take on the heroes to Marvel Studios' pact with Sony to bring Spider-Man into the MCU. “We’ve set a very high bar for ourselves with bringing that to the screen.”
Fantastic Four is set to be released in theaters on May 2, 2025.